


Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

by titania522



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: 1001 Arabian Nights, Disney, Fairy Tale Retellings, aladdin - Freeform, aladdin/everlark crossover, challenge, everlark everafter, everlark fanfiction, ombradellaluna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 00:21:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 28,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3269780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titania522/pseuds/titania522
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss Everdeen is just trying to survive life and take care of her mother and sister.  A chance encounter with a boy, a villain and a genie turns her life upside down forever.  Written for the Everlark Disney Everafter Writing Challenge.  Aladdin/Everlark Crossover fic.  Picture by the incomparable Ombradellaluna.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 of 2.
> 
> A fleet of people helped me with this fic including the entire EverlarkianArchivesChat group for their consistent support. What a great group of people! I have to give special thanks to Everybirdfellsilent, Peetasallhehasleft, Abbythebear, Katnissdoesnotfollowback, Peetabreadgirl, Dyce and the lovely Jamiesommers23, all of whom either organized this challenge, encouraged, supported, prodded, pre-read, pestered, edited or betaed this fic into existence :). Also a heartfelt thanks to Ombradellaluna, for the beautiful artwork and her generosity towards everyone in the EverlarkianArchives' group. Just a really sweet girl and brilliant artist <3.

[Original Work by Ombradellaluna](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-ZG3hphoUxSenV1TFVBSFZvN1U1ZUU4ZmRjZEg5ZEVWRlIw/view?usp=sharing)

  

**_I can show you the world_ **

**_Shining, shimmering, splendid_ **

**_Tell me, princess, now when did_ **

**_You last let your heart decide?_ **

 

**_I can open your eyes_ **

**_Take you wonder by wonder_ **

**_Over sideways and under_ **

**_On a magic carpet ride_ **

 

**_A whole new world_ **

**_A new fantastic point of view_ **

**_No one to tell us "No"_ **

**_Or where to go_ **

**_Or say we're only dreaming_ **

 

**From _A Whole New World -_ Lyrics written for the feature film, _Aladdin_**

 

**Part 1**

 

“Over here!” hissed Katniss as she stood, seemingly indifferent, next to the stack of boxed diapers.  Johanna, her partner in crime and one of her best friends, ran her hands over the bottles of fever medicine, handling each and reading the labels in feigned concentration.  Katniss was becoming impatient but she didn’t want to draw the attention of the cashier, a middle-aged man who was already casting strange looks at her.

 

Quick as lightning, Johanna slipped two bottles into her army overcoat, the one she’d found at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago. Lingering a few minutes more, Johanna called nonchalantly over her shoulder, for Katniss’ and the cashier’s benefit, “I don’t have enough to buy these anyway.  Let’s go.”

 

They left the store and hurried down Romar Avenue before making a quick left turn, putting them out of sight of the drug store.  Johanna dug into the giant inner pocket of the overcoat.

 

“Here....for Prim,” she smiled triumphantly, a smile Katniss acknowledged with a nod.  “This should get her fever down.”

 

Johanna jiggled her pockets again, digging out random bags of chips and cookies. “Thought I’d pick up some snacks while I was at it.”

 

“Johanna!” Katniss laughed despite herself. She never stole more than she needed but they were always hungry so she took the proffered chips from her friend.

 

“There they go!” came the sound of a gruff, angry voice behind them.  “Those are the two thieves!”

 

Katniss turned her head just in time to see two burly police officers flanking the cashier from the drugstore.  Her feet were already in motion when she heard Johanna shout, “Run!”  This was not the first time they’d been chased by cops so they already had a contingency plan - Johanna ran one way, and Katniss the other. And they tried their best to never get caught.  

 

Katniss darted across Booker Avenue, just barely colliding into a stroller full of babies. To Katniss’ adrenaline-addled mind, it reminded her of those circus cars that kept emptying an impossible number of clowns onto the circus floor.  She deftly dodged the group - Katniss was fast and knew these streets in her sleep. She felt her short jacket flap against her hip as she hurtled down Bergenline, a street that was literally forty city blocks of stores, bodegas, boutiques and restaurants. She was on the nicer side, the side that had jobs and money and houses and cars, the side that she visited every now and then to lift a wallet or pocket jewelry, but could never, ever afford to even window shop on her own.

 

Katniss looked back to see her pursuer a good block and a half away from her, also struggling to get through the crowds. So she didn’t see the young man who stepped out in front of her until she’d literally slammed into him.

 

“Whoa!  What are you doing?” he exclaimed as he steadied her, his warm hands gripping her upper arms.

 

“Let me go!” Katniss said desperately, the police officer winding his way too quickly through the crowd.  People yelped as the man elbowed pedestrians aside. A quick glance in the direction of the officer, together with the squirming young lady before him, appeared to be all that the young man needed to understand her predicament.

 

“In here,” he said, pulling her into a shop.  Katniss almost resisted but the idea of spending any amount of time in jail again was enough for her to calm down and cooperate. She found herself inside a very fashionable men’s shop, where expensive pants and suits hung wrinkle-free from their hangers.  The shop didn’t have the old, stale smell of packed clothing that clung to everything she bought from the Salvation Army.  It was the smell of something musky and manly and she liked it, despite herself.

 

When her pounding heart had stilled, she finally took a good, long look at the boy who, quite without any provocation, appeared to be trying to save her from arrest. Just like the store, he was well off - from the top of his carelessly styled blond curls to the tips of his perfectly shaped fingernails.  He was handsome - bright blue eyes, clear complexion, perfect row of teeth.  He was also healthy - his chest was broad and stretched the fabric of his t-shirt in places.  He had a medium build but, given her own size, he was taller than her by a good head anyway. And he was kind - at least, he appeared so to her. Katniss didn’t trust his altruism or anyone else’s for that matter.  So her sudden ease with him as the police officer continued his chase past the front of the shop, made her nervous.

 

“Thanks,” she said gruffly, looking up at her erstwhile savior who openly appraised her.

 

“No problem.  So, why are the police chasing you?  Are you some kind of double agent?” he teased, which made his eyes twinkle. Katniss had to admit that when he smiled, he was almost irresistible.

 

“Eh, no,” she said, clearing her head. “I just got into a tight spot. Thanks alot for your help. I’ll just go now.” she said, scanning the street through the display window to be sure her pursuer was no longer nearby.

 

“Well, don’t leave yet!” he said hastily. “I mean, they might still be outside.”

 

“Nah,” Katniss said, distracted by studying the crowds moving along the busy street.  “I hope they have better things to do than look for me.”  She looked up at him and suddenly felt awkward. He had saved her from getting arrested and she felt like it was in poor form to just go. And yet, she knew the officer could be back at any time. They could pull up the street cameras and track her to this shop easily, if they were sufficiently motivated. Katniss couldn’t afford to test her luck.

 

He held out his hand. “I’m Peeta, by the way.”

 

“And I’m...really grateful that you helped me out,” Katniss hedged as she took his large hand in hers.  

 

“Ah, have to keep the identity under wraps. I get it. Well, it was nice meeting you, Secret Agent,” he said, holding her hand a beat longer than necessary before letting it drop.

 

“Bye, Peeta.” she said, suddenly a bit lightheaded because his name rolled like honey off of her tongue.  Shaking her head to clear her distracting thoughts, she stepped out onto the pavement and wound her way through the crowds, looking back as she did so to see Peeta staring after her from the doorway.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Katniss was paranoid as she took a roundabout way to get home.  She kept pulling her hoody down over her head, trying to shrink into her jacket. She headed towards Northside and the Seam, which was a collection of tenement complexes where the poor of the city lived.  It was a veritable concrete maze of buildings that she could disappear into.  Her own complex would be further south but once she entered the abandoned buildings, she would be untrackable.  

 

As she stood at the crosswalk, waiting for her turn to cross the street, she saw the cop at the exact moment they saw her. Katniss broke into a run across the busy boulevard, with little heed for the oncoming cars, who honked noisily at her.

 

“Stop or you’ll be charged with resisting arrest as well as shoplifting!” one of the officers hollered breathlessly. “Then you’ll be in real trouble!”

 

“You’re not in trouble unless you get caught,” she muttered under her breath as she darted into the small alley, leaping effortlessly over the metal barriers shielding pedestrians from the perpetual construction along Weehawken Avenue.  She stumbled when she landed, allowing the officers to close in on her but a quick feint to the left caused one officer to miss her braid by a hair as she barrelled into the “projects,” as her mother called them.  

 

The doorway she searched for appeared before her, a doorless gaping hole on the side of a concrete monolith whose darkness loomed ominously before her. Luckily, she had the layout of the building memorized.  She slid across discarded cardboard from the homeless who took up residence in the abandoned rooms, seeking relief from the harsh Panem City winters.  She heard the police officer clamber noisily over the detritus as Katniss burst into apartment 5b, darting towards the master bedroom, closing the door behind her. In the walk-in closet, was a hole the size of a child.  Some dealer had dug it out in a time before the buildings had been condemned to languish like a rotten eyesore in the middle of warehouses and tenement blocks.

 

Even in the dark, Katniss had no trouble finding the tiny crawl space which linked the apartment to the basement below.  Katniss slinked like a cat along the support beams, skirting chewed-through electrical wire and concrete reinforcements to land in the damp basement below. She could hear the officer banging about, his sounds of angry searching filtering down into the small hole. Dusting herself off, Katniss trudged through the maze of moldy rooms, stopping every now and then when she thought she might have heard any of the number of homeless who called this building home or the giant rats that roamed freely. Given the sheer number of rooms above-ground, it was unlikely anyone would take up residence down here with the cat-sized rodents.

 

Katniss finally found the double metal shutters that were the external access to the basement below. Carefully opening the heavy closures to reduce the unbearably loud sound of the unoiled hinges creaking into the warm spring air, she slipped out, looking furtively around her.  There was no sign of the police officer. Likely, he was inside, still trying to figure out where she’d gone. Patting the pocket of her jeans, she felt the bulge of the bottle of Ibuprofen, only just now hearing the rattling of the pills inside.  Heaving a sigh of relief and thankful for abandoned government projects and handsome blond strangers with names that sounded like bread, Katniss began her long walk back home.

 

**XXXXX**

 

“We gave those guys a run for their money!” Johanna gloated, jumping up from the steps as Katniss made her way inside the concrete building that held the apartment she shared with her mother and younger sister, Prim.

 

“It was close,” Katniss said, thinking again of Peeta, the blond-haired boy with the bread name who had helped her out of a tight spot.  She repressed the urge to tell her best friend about that encounter and instead asked Johanna how she fared.

 

“Shook that fat fuck right around the Heights and ended up taking a train back home,” she laughed, running her hands through her short, dark hair and shaking out the strands, something she did almost unconsciously.  Katniss unlocked the door of the apartment and went directly to the bedroom she shared with her sister.

 

“Prim?” she whispered, not sure if her she was still awake or not.

 

“Hey,” she heard the weak response and, even in the dim corridor light, Katniss could see the flushed cheeks, indicating her sister was feverish.  She sat at the edge of the bed and ran her hands through her sisters damp, blond hair.

 

“I’ve got some ibuprofen.  You’ll feel better now.”

 

Prim smiled as she opened bottle and swallowed two of the pills.  “That’s awesome, thanks. Maybe I won’t have to miss school tomorrow.”

 

“You stay home until you feel better,” Katniss said firmly.  Even though they were only three years apart, Katniss was like a mother to Prim.  She was more mother to her than even their own mother and often, Prim did what Katniss asked much more quickly than she did what Mrs. Everdeen asked.

 

“I have a test, though,” Prim protested as she settled back into her bedsheets.

 

“You can make it up,” Katniss smoothed out her hair. “I’ll cook something to eat, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Prim nodded, sliding deeper under the covers until only the top of her head was visible.  Katniss smoothed out the duvet before making her way to the kitchen.  She searched the cupboards and, though somewhat bare, did manage to find a box of bouillon cubes.  She smiled happily when she also found a bit of chicken in the freezer and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.

 

“Chicken soup!” she said victoriously as she set about to defrost the chicken. How many times had she had to take care of her sister, because her mother was working or locked in her room, lost in memories of her husband, who died when Katniss was only eleven and Prim was eight?  Even after almost ten years, Mrs. Everdeen still fell into bouts of depression in which she locked herself away for days on end, leaving Prim and Katniss to their own resources.

 

“You have a little extra for me?” Johanna said as she pulled the pots out to help Katniss.

 

“Nah, I never have any extra for you,” teased Katniss as Johanna gave her a playful push before putting oil in the soup pan.

 

At least Katniss had graduated from high school and gotten a job waitressing at an all-night diner, but the work was miserable and the pay was lousy. She still had to resort, like today, to shop-lifting, to round out their needs.  Between their mother’s sporadic work and Katniss’ miserly tips and pay, they weren’t always able to make ends meet.

 

Prim was her priority - had been since her father died. She was such a good student and wanted to go to college. Katniss didn’t know how they were going to do it - probably through grants and loans - but she was determined that her sister get the hell out of this piss-hole they lived in, and the only way she was going to do it was to get herself an education. Katniss could worry about paying for it later on.

 

“Johanna, don’t you get tired of everything?” Katniss asked as she poured the ingredients into the pot and set everything to simmer.

 

Johanna shrugged.  She was a year older than Katniss and her mother was a raving alcoholic. She spent more time with Katniss and her family than she did with her own on the other side of the tenement complex and Katniss had even managed to get her hired washing dishes at the diner.

 

“Fuck, yeah!  Every day. You know, I left to work this morning and found Old Chaffe sleeping under the mailboxes. I thought he was dead.  Stunk up the whole freaking hallway.  I told him, ‘Hey, asshole, where the hell have you been? I thought you were dead!’ And he said he fell asleep on the A line, which ends almost at the border of District 13. Can you believe the shit?  He ended up over fifty miles away and couldn’t figure out a way to get back until yesterday.  What an asshole.”

 

Katniss chuckled, thinking of their resident hobo, thankful that he hadn’t gotten jumped or fallen under a bus.   

 

“But what pissed me off was, man, if I was like Chaffe and didn’t have anybody, I’d stay my ass out there. What the hell does he have here to come running back to? District 13 is actually nice.”

 

Katniss shook her head.  “You know how long somebody like Chaffe would last out there, in the middle of the woods, with all those well-to-do folks ignoring him?  He’d be dead in a week.”  She furrowed her brow, her tell-tale scowl beginning to form.  “It doesn’t do any good to run away.  When you’re stuck, you’re stuck. Chaffe’s stuck. I’m stuck.” She looked up at Johanna, who listened to her as she wiped down the counter. This was not a new conversation between them. “But Prim’s not stuck. She’s going to go to school and be somebody and get the hell out of here.  She’ll do it for the both of us.”

 

Johanna nodded her head, her eyes flitting towards the room where the sick girl lay resting in bed.  “Somebody better do it.  Might as well be her.  Just don’t forget us when you hit the big time,”  She moved into the living room and turned on the T.V.  “At least somebody’s got cable this month.  They turned ours off yesterday.”

 

“Yeah, I know how that is,” Katniss said quietly. She argued monthly with either the cable company, electric company or the water department. The whole idea of it made her suddenly bone-tired.  She was only twenty but she felt like a fifty year-old.  Sometimes, she thought if it wasn’t for her mother and sister, she’d have disappeared into the woods or the countryside and never looked back.   But she did have them and there was no sense in fantasizing about things that couldn’t happen.  So she sat down next to Johanna and kept her company while she watched the news, pushing all thoughts of a new life out of her head.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Prim got better and was able to go to school the next day, which made her incredibly happy. Katniss’ little sister had always loved school and luckily, she hadn’t lost that quality as a highschooler.  Katniss’ mom came back from working the night shift, drank some of the broth from the soup Katniss had made and gone straight to bed.  In some ways, Katniss was comforted by the routine, even if she sometimes felt stifled by her life.  

 

She thought about her father, as she often did - a kind man who loved music.  He worked as a janitor, ironically, in the very high school where both Katniss and now Prim, attended.  However, by the time Katniss made it to high school, her father had been long gone.

 

She thought about him whenever she felt despondent and today, Katniss was more despondent than usual.  Her father sang everyday and she missed the sound of his voice the most, a timbre that was so pure and sweet, even the birds fell silent and listened. He often took her to the free concerts in the park and told her the stories of the performances they listened to.  Wagner, Mozart, Vivaldi, Gershwin - these were familiar names to her and their music danced in her head.  But her father didn’t discriminate - he took her to see rock concerts, country music, blues and jazz bands - if it was musical and free, they were there.  And Katniss missed that very much.

 

As she trudged her way to work, she took in the decrepit city blocks that surrounded her, thinking of the books she read in school about nice houses and streets lined with trees, entire communities sitting at the edge of a forest.  It seemed like a nice fantasy and was nothing like the broken-glass strewn sidewalks and graffiti-covered buildings in her tenement.  

 

She thought back to the young man who’d helped her out of the pinch and the way he was dressed and Katniss was sure, absolutely positive that he was the kind of boy who lived in a neighborhood like that.  Katniss felt herself flush involuntarily at the thought of him - tall, but not too tall, strong, defined arms and clean, so clean he seemed to sparkle. Even his hair, so blond and curly, appeared to gleam

 

Katniss chuckled to herself.  She hadn’t seen that side of a man since she broke up with Gale Hawthorne and that had been more than a year before. He was a mechanic and did pretty well for himself. The idea of marrying someone who actually made enough money to take care of her and her family was awfully tempting.  But even though she was a hard girl on the outside, she was a romantic at heart and knew she couldn’t stay with someone just because of a paycheck, no matter how needy she was. It was reckless of her - any other girl would have accepted Gale’s proposal. But Katniss, in a fit of what she knew was idiocy, could not bring herself to do it.

 

As much as she resented her mother, Mrs. Everdeen had married for love. It was the only thing Katniss could really admire of her mother.  And if Katniss got around to doing it, she decided she would also marry for the same reason.

 

That thought somehow made her feel better and she suddenly had a desire to be closer to her father. Katniss decided, with the tips she earned today, to put a little gas in the rusty tank of the Old Goat, the scooter Gale had refurbished and given to her as a gift, and go out to the park to listen to some music. It would bring back her dad, his songs and the days when she had been young and worry-free and full of hope for the future.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Katniss heard before she saw the open air concert in the park as she drew near with her scooter.  Locking up the Old Goat against the giant oak tree that grew tall over the spot she had shared so many times with her father, she clambered up one of the rugged rocks that overlooked the concert site. She had a balcony-seat view of the event, the tree’s thick branches weighed down with dense foliage, making her invisible to the audience below.  She pulled out a Capri-Sun and a bag of dollar-salted peanuts from her pocket, reclining as the orchestra warmed up. Cast on the ground was the performance sheaf, which read, in large, bold letters, _The New York Philharmonic Orchestra presents Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Op. 35_.  Katniss could not remember why, but the name seemed somewhat familiar. However, the thought was soon lost in the lonely opening chords of the solo violin whose mournful tune wrapped it’s notes around her heart.

 

As the music lulled the normally cacophonous noise of the city to magical rest, Katniss cast her glance down into the audience of the well-heeled, who had scored, by invitation or connection, the garden chairs set up directly before the orchestra. Only the very privileged sat in those chairs, leaving normal concert-goers to their picnic blankets and beach chairs.  She chuckled to herself when she recalled her father telling her that only the truly destitute or desperate were reduced to clambering up jagged rock-faces to overlook the concert, gaining them perhaps the best seats of all.

 

As the second movement began, Katniss eyes landed on a set of blue eyes gazing boldly at her.  She was taken aback, certain that her perch on the rock was concealed from the audience.  Normally she could care less and would have simply scampered into the branches of the tree if necessary to hide but it was none other than the boy with the bread-name. His face captivated her and made her body forget its natural instincts to flee, instincts that had been honed by a lifetime of struggling.  As the solo violin floated through the air, Katniss was no longer on the rock. The boy’s blue eyes became the deep water of an oasis, the sky overhead almost gone white with the sun’s relentless heat. And yet the water was cool beneath the shade of the thick palm leaves.  Katniss felt a profound feeling of rest, solidity and safety.  

 

Realizing that she’d been fixated on the boy, he returned her stare unabashedly.  This shook Katniss, who finally did scoot back into the branches. The boy turned his head back to the orchestra, leaving her to wonder if she’d imagined the entire exchange.  She considered just ditching the rest of the concert but realized she really wasn’t breaking any laws - no one could forbid a concert-goer from climbing the tops of the large rocks surrounding the naturally-shaped amphitheater if they were so inclined to do so.  

 

She was lulled back into the mystifying music, the feeling of being lost in a magnificent desert returning to her, warming her evening-chilled skin until she chanced to look back down at the audience and saw the seat where the young man was sitting was now empty. Next to the place he vacated was an older woman who seemed to search the crowd, grey hair falling like an uninterrupted curtain of steel down her head and landing abrasively against the shawl draped over her shoulders.

 

Katniss turned away, a vague sense of disappointment stealing over her when the boy did not return to his seat, even as the music transported her again. It was a lovely daydream, this oasis and the boy with the water-blue eyes.  She suddenly remembered who Scheherazade was - the princess who had been taken by a Sultan, one who bedded his brides and then killed them the next morning. She had shrewdly kept herself alive by spinning tales of wonder and magnificence, leaving him with a cliffhanger every night.  This forced the young Sultan to keep her alive so that he could hear how the tales resolved themselves. She did this for one thousand and one nights, hence the name _1001 Arabian Nights_.  The Sultan realized he had come to love the girl and could not bring himself to kill her, thus ending her stories and his murderous rampage.

 

As Katniss’ mind swirled with her music-drenched daydreams, a shuffling sound behind her caught her attention. Looking up in panic, she saw that it was none other than the young man who’d been sitting in the audience.  Surveying her surroundings carefully, Katniss realized she was somewhat blocked from escape, the place where she’d climbed onto the rock effectively rendered out of reach by the new arrival. She realized with some dismay and without the distraction of fear, that his eyes were even more incredible up close.  He swiped unconsciously at the curls that fell over his forehead, standing shyly before breaking into a smile.

 

“Peeta?” she asked in astonishment.

 

“You remember me, Secret Agent!” he chuckled, his eyes doing that brilliant twinkling thing she thought only characters in novels did. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Honestly. I just think you probably have a better view up here than I do.”

 

Katniss’ eyes narrowed as he awkwardly waited for her permission to sit, which she gave with a tight nod of her head. Her heart flipped in her chest, not from fear but from the novelty of being this close to someone who was so well-maintained.  His crisp grey-blue jeans looked like they’d never been worn before, his button-down light blue shirt remarkably unlined, except for the sleeves rolled up to the elbow.  He wore a dark blue vest and tie, as befitted the occasion but his Converses kept him from appearing too overdressed.  Katniss grimaced involuntarily when he scraped the side of his too new sneakers against the rock as he settled down next to her.  She purposely chose not to glance down at her grubby mid-drift baring tank top and torn jeans.

 

Unthinkingly, Katniss blurted out, “But your seat is right in front of the orchestra!” She almost kicked herself, realizing she’d given away the fact that she had been paying attention when he stared up at her.

 

The young man smiled, perhaps realizing the same thing.  He cocked his head to the side in expectation. “So, what’s your real name?” he asked, the sound of his voice warm against the backdrop of the dance of instruments below.

 

“Katniss.”

 

He held out his hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you, Katniss.” She took his hand, still wary but thinking, if nothing else, that he had the finest forearms she’d ever seen on a person close-up.

 

Her thoughts were in a tumult of confusion. She didn’t know this boy from Adam. She knew she should bolt, now that he was sitting down.  She could make off without him stopping her, for she was agile and swift, having had to run away from so many things.  Yet her instincts told her not to be afraid. There weren’t many things she could count on but Katniss could always count on her instincts.

 

He looked around appreciately.  “This really is a great spot. The music sounds better up here.”

 

Several minutes passed before Katniss responded unexpectedly.“That’s because you’re right above the middle point of the ellipse,” she said, pointing at the shape of the open air theater. “My father told me that the designers of the open air theater had chosen this spot because it is a natural ellipse, so sound projects well. Sitting from the mid point and beyond creates a sound effect that you don’t get sitting in front of the orchestra.”  She wanted to say that ironically, people who paid so much to be close to the orchestra in an outdoor theater were completely ignorant of their acoustic disadvantage but she didn’t want to insult Peeta, having only just met him.

 

“Like the Greek amphitheaters,” Peeta demurred and suddenly, Katniss felt somewhat idiotic. Of course a boy whose parents could afford such seats would also be able to afford an excellent education.  He didn’t have to collect bits of knowledge the way she had been forced to do all her life - a movie here, a magazine article there, the occasional calm of reading an entire novel.  Peeta’s entire demeanor screamed private schools and tutors - lots of money spent making him polished and intelligent and handsome well beyond average. She lapsed into an annoyed silence, trying to recapture the magic of the music and irritated by her thoughts.  She chanced a glance down into the audience and now the silver-haired woman was standing, clearly in search of Peeta.

 

“I think your mom’s looking for you,” Katniss said.

 

Peeta shook his head, his full lips tightening almost imperceptibly.  “She’s not my mother. She’s my father’s assistant but she practically lives with us.”  He ran his hand through his curly gold hair and Katniss was suddenly distracted by the movement.

 

Clearing her throat, she turned back to the woman now making her way up through the aisle, much to the chagrin of the other audience members.

 

“Is it her job to keep track of you?” Katniss asked.

 

“She’s _made_ it her job to keep track of me,” he said, watching with a bemused expression as the woman circled around the crowds of people.

 

“What are you, a prince or something?  You have body guards, too?” Katniss quipped.

 

“If Coin had her way, I’d never be allowed out in public.” He turned towards her, seeming to laugh at a private joke but shifted his attention back to the crowd before Katniss could be sure.  “I don’t always get to do what I want. It’s pretty suffocating.  How about you?  Are you a princess?  Did you escape your palace for a little freedom?”

 

Katniss chuckled despite herself, surprised at the ease with which she was able to speak to him. “I’ve got more freedom than I can handle.  No, I’m no princess at all. I’m more like one of the mice that got turned into a footman in a fairy tale, you know?”

 

“No way,” Peeta said quietly, appraising her.  “I don’t believe that for a minute.”

 

“Well, believe it. I wouldn’t be sitting on this rock otherwise.”  

 

They lapsed into a companionable silence as the performance transitioned into the third movement.  Katniss was somewhat sad for the change, for she had decided the second was definitely her favorite one.

 

“I love music,” Peeta said quietly, interrupting her thoughts. “I love live music in particular. What I don’t like is having to dress up and act all stiff when music is about movement, you know?  You just have to sit, glued to a chair for two hours and you can’t even whisper to anybody because a bunch of old, stuffy farts shush you and make you feel like a criminal.”

 

Katniss was taken aback by his observation. “You mean, how people dress up to go to the Panem Center to listen to _Figaro_?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I’ve never been to a concert like that,” she stared out into the audience, watching the orchestra move through the music.  “Most of my experiences come from sitting on this rock every summer to listen to whatever show they put on.” She wanted to say it was her father who brought her up here and talked her through each of the operas and performances; that up until now, she’d never shared that with anyone else. But she opted to keep that bit of information to herself.

 

“It might be strange for you to listen to music in a concert hall, then. It’s really different,” he said and she felt his eyes on her, though she kept her vision fixed on the solo violin that was now playing.

 

“Maybe one day,” Katniss said noncommittally. “You’re lucky to have the chance whenever you want to.”

 

“Well, outside of that and my art lessons, I’m usually bored out of my mind.” he responded and she couldn’t help but feel a stab of pity until she realized that she’d rather be bored than hungry.

 

Katniss scanned the crowds, squinting out into the lamp-lit group of picnic blankets near the stream that divided the park in several small islets.  “I think your warden found you.”

 

Indeed, the woman Peeta had referred to as Coin strode purposefully across the green, her eyes fixed on where they sat.  Peeta let out a frustrated burst of air and a barely audible “ _fuck_ ” under his breath.  There was something about her that Katniss deeply distrusted, a visceral rejection that came from the very pit of her stomach. Recognizing in Peeta that feeling of oppression that often drove her out into the night on her scooter, looking for relief from all the things she could not control, she was seized with a reckless impulse.

 

“Hey, my scooter’s parked under this rock. I bet if we hustled, we could make a quick getaway,”

 

Peeta’s eyes brightened and for some reason Katniss could not understand, his expression made her happy.  “You wouldn’t mind?”

 

“Just spot me for some gas and I’ll give you a ride home or something,” she said, unable even in circumstances like this to behave impractically. “Deal?”

 

Peeta agreed and with that, they scrambled down the rock.  Giving Peeta her helmet, she instructed him on how to hold on before starting up the Old Goat.  Coin was not twenty feet away when she accelerated.  Katniss glanced in the rearview mirror to see the older woman stop and stare after her, an expression on her face that chilled Katniss to her bones.  

 

Shaking it off, she tossed over her shoulder at Peeta. “Where do you want to go?”

 

“Anywhere!” he screamed gleefully.  “Anywhere I’ve never been!’

 

Katniss raced out onto Columbus Circle, slowing down at the red light and half-turning in her seat.  “How the hell do I know where you’ve never been?”

 

Peeta stared down, adjusting the strap of his helmet as he responded, “Trust me when I tell you  I’ve been everywhere and no where.  I promise I’ll pay for your gas but just get me as far away from here as possible.”

 

“Well, sir, your wish is my command,” Katniss said, shaking her head at the strangeness of this night.

 

**XXXXX**

 

They ended up flying across the Verrazano bridge, the wind of the river whipping at them as the buttresses of the steel structure zoomed by overhead.  Every now and again, Katniss could catch the sound of Peeta’s laughter whenever the wind changed directions, a sound that brought warmth to her belly and spread throughout her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes.  She’d been over this bridge before but it was like she was seeing the city for the first time. The lights of office and apartments gleamed like diamonds suspended against an endless sky.  The water was a murky pool of darkness just beneath the wheels of the Old Goat but she heard the swishing of it’s movement strike against the whoosh of air as they approached the end of the bridge.

 

She had braided her hair tightly that evening and was grateful that she had, for the wind would have reduced her hair to a snarly mess had it been loose.  Despite the bright city lights around them overrunning the night, some brighter stars were still visible over the horizon where the ocean peeked between mainland and the island where Panem City was located.

 

They stopped at Liberty Island, the park still open despite the hour of the night. Katniss rode her scooter right up to the edge of the water, the long dock leading out to the moored ferries bobbing gently in the tide.

 

“We come here to see the Fourth of July fireworks.  My sister loves them and if mom isn’t working, she’ll come with us too.”

 

“What does your mom do?” Peeta asked while casting a small piece of concrete from the edge of the pavement into the lapping waves.

 

“Home health aid.”  Katniss didn’t want to tell them that they made next to nothing and that her mother worked as many hours as her depression allowed, meaning they were dependent on the government and anything Katniss and Johanna could shoplift.  Somehow, she wanted to impress this very intelligent, if somewhat naive boy and stories of her poverty didn’t seem to be the way to do it.

 

“How about your dad?” he asked, flinging another rock, the wind whipping his curls into a frenzy of gold as each hair seemed to capture the beams from the quarter moon.  Katniss repressed a powerful urge to touch his hair and confirm whether they were real or slivers of light from the sky.

 

“Dad?” She sobered quickly. “He died when I was eleven,” Katniss picked up a larger rock and flung it in a powerful parabola into the churning river.  “It’s just my sister, my mother and me.”

 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, turning towards her, his eyes no longer twinkling but wide and luminous in their smoky darkness as the pupils swallowed the blue.

 

Katniss felt herself sway under the intensity of his gaze, her entire body leaning towards him as if he were a magnet.  She stiffened and turned toward the water, casting another stone.  “It’s okay.  We get by.”

 

She felt the pressure of his hand on her elbow as he gently turned her towards him.  “Thank you.  You don’t know how much this means to me.”

 

Katniss felt her skin flush with embarrassment. “It’s nothing. I just gave you a ride.”

 

He shook his head, his hand still on her elbow, robbing her of the ability to think. “No, not just a ride.  You gave me a taste of freedom. You don’t know the gift you have.”

 

“Gift? Of freedom?” asked Katniss sardonically.  “Freedom to scrape by?  Freedom from ducking and hiding from cops?”

 

“How about freedom from people telling you what to do all the time?" he retorted in frustration.  "What to study, which friends to have, what clothes to wear...I wish I knew what it was like to be free to make my own choices,” he said distractedly.  “Sometimes, I feel just so…”

 

“Trapped?” supplied Katniss quietly, as he clasped her other elbow in his hand and pulled her towards him.

 

“Trapped,” he repeated, looking at her, practically begging for her understanding.  Katniss felt the air lodge firmly in her lungs as she lost the ability to breathe.  She let her lids fall half closed as his lips brushed hers sweetly, then more firmly, moving over her but never intruding.  He was as gentle in his kiss as he was in his manner and it was this feather-like touch in the middle of a life of harsh blows and jagged edges that made Katniss’ knees buckle.  

 

They were interrupted by a car honking behind them, followed by an abrasive voice.

 

“Hey, lovebirds!  The park’s closing soon.  You better get on home,” shouted a man from a rusty Cadillac coup that might have once been beige and had certainly seen better days.

 

“Alright, alright!” Katniss said in annoyance.  “Don’t get your panties in a knot!”  

 

“Ten minutes, kids!” the burly man huffed as he made his way along the shoreline.

 

Peeta shrugged, pulling back and turning out towards the water, letting his arm rest lightly about Katniss’ waist.  They quietly contemplated the horizon - the faint, insistent, blinking lights of the city before turning away to confront their respective lives lying hidden in its tangled depths.

 

**XXXXX**

 

When Peeta settled in behind her on the scooter, Katniss still felt that swaying feeling, as if she would melt like butter against him. She became distractedly aware of his arms around her waist, his strong thighs flush and parallel to her own.  It was all Katniss could do to focus as they pulled into the self-service station.  The gas gurgled loudly as it fell into the small tank of the Old Goat and Katniss wondered briefly when was the last time the poor rusty creature had found itself with a full tank of gas.

 

Peeta stared at everything around him, hungrily taking in every sight as if trying to commit it all to memory. Katniss recognized that look, reminding her of the guys from her neighborhood when they were just released from prison. Life assaulted them all at once and they in turn wanted only to drown in it. It suddenly made Katniss sad that someone like Peeta, someone as gentle and sensitive as he was, should have to feel that way.  Spontaneously, she left a kiss on his jaw, which shocked both of them into a momentary immobility.  Katniss blushed furiously as she leapt onto the bike again and powered up the engine to take him home. She didn’t think she imagined the way he clung to her a bit more tightly as they made their way over the bridge again.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Katniss slowed down when they reached the exclusive apartment building on the Upper East Side.  It was a dream location, overlooking Central Park, half of a mile from the Panem City Museum of Art.  Even at night, the buildings screamed exclusivity and privilege - hinting at apartments with large, soaring ceilings and spiral staircases built around cleverly designed spaces.  Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Roof-top gardens. Balconies far above the more civilized traffic on this part of town.  Peeta lived here and it intimidated her more than anything she’d experienced to this point.  

 

Peeta descended from the scooter, shaking out his curls when he removed the helmet.  Katniss’ attention was drawn by the brass handles of the double glass door that led to the large lobby of the place he called home. She couldn’t help mentally comparing the bright lights and clean floors to the shabby carpets and worn furniture of her own home, the marble walls making the pock-marked drywall of her living room look even more horrible in her imagination.

 

“I had fun. Maybe we could do this again?”

 

Katniss looked miserably up at Peeta. He had too much of everything and she had too much of nothing. It embarrassed her to sit on the Old Goat in front of a place she could only afford to walk by. Katniss forced a smile on her face.

 

“It was fun,” was all she was able to say before the doorman suddenly appeared, a cell phone attached to his ear.

 

“Yes sir, he’s just arrived,” the gentleman said into the phone. “I’ll send him up right away.  Yes, you’re welcome sir.” Putting his phone away in his pocket, the concierge stood in front of Peeta, giving Katniss his back. “Mr. Mellark, your parents were very worried about you. I’ve been instructed to take you upstairs straightaway.”

 

Katniss felt her eyes go wide with shock.   _Mellark?  As in The Mellark Corporation? No way..._

 

“Worried?  Flavius, I’m twenty-two years old!  I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Peeta groused, irritation darkening his features.

 

“Of course, sir.  This way, please,” insisted Flavius.

 

Katniss was still smarting from Flavius’ snub and the realization that she’d spent the last few hours with the heir of the wealthiest corporate empire in the country.  She watched Peeta try to turn back towards her when the silver-haired woman from the concert pushed her way through the glass door followed by several burly men.   _He really did have body guards!_  She cast a penetrating look in Katniss’ direction, before addressing Peeta.

 

“We had the police out looking for you, Peeta,” she said, indicating with her head that Flavius was dismissed.

 

“It was completely unnecessary,” he said coolly before seeking her out. “Katniss! Don’t leave yet!”

 

Katniss fired up the Old Goat, slowly pulling away from the curb. She heard him call out to her again but it was for the best that she didn’t stop. As she picked up speed, she raced down the boulevard, passing ivy-covered brownstones and buildings like Peeta’s, with brightly lit, classically decorated interiors, serious men guarding the doors. She could practically smell the money and affluence as she flew by.  

 

The spell of the night was broken as soon as the buildings began to change. Katniss’ bike was so much lighter now and she felt the chill of evening more keenly on her exposed mid-drift.   _It’s for the best,_ she muttered to herself.   _He’s way out of your league._  Still, the streets seemed that much emptier, the noises of traffic more muted. She couldn’t shake the disappointment, nor the way everything appeared to be just a little more dull than before.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Several days passed before the surreal memory of that night faded.  During that time, Katniss functioned as if caught between two worlds, her mind lost in a haze of memory and illusion.  She was irritable and had moments of spontaneous sadness that left her bewildered.

 

She found herself in one of those strange states of preoccupation while wiping down the counter at the diner, cleaning spilled coffee and the detritus of hamburgers, fries and ketchup.  Her shift was almost over and she looked forward to the extra-large philly cheese steak and onions with fries that was waiting for her in one of three to-go containers she’d prepared for dinner.  Old Man Cray was off for the night, and the cook, Thresh, always made dinner for whoever was on shift when the stingy manager was gone.  He never said so to Katniss but he understood that she was struggling at home and always put a little extra into her containers.  She, of course, noted his generosity but figured, as long as he never mentioned it, she could accept that charity without feeling like she owed him for it.

 

Johanna came up next to her, eyeing her own dinner longingly.  “Don’t leave without me. I’ll be off in fifteen minutes.”

 

“Okay.” Katniss didn’t even bother to invite her home - her best friend practically lived with her and came and went as she pleased.  As Jo made her way back to the kitchen, the bell of the shop chimed and Katniss looked up to see two large men enter the shop.  Concealed by their height was a third person, who Katniss could not see well.  When they stepped aside, a woman with grey hair that fell like an uninterrupted curtain to her shoulders appeared from behind their girth.  With a start, Katniss recognized the woman just as she opened her mouth to speak.

 

“Katniss Everdeen?” she asked politely.

 

Eyeing her warily, all the while wondering what she could possibly want with her, Katniss nodded. “Yes?”

 

“My name is Alma Coin. I believe you are an...acquaintance of Mr. Mellark?”

 

“We know each other,” Katniss hedged carefully. The woman’s appearance had inadvertently brought that night with Peeta back to her mind, a night she’d only just successfully managed to push to the back of her thoughts. Her stomach a gave sudden lurch that she had to quell with a press of her hand.  “How, is he?”

 

“Fine, just fine,” she said curtly. “I know you don’t know me very well but I just need a few minutes of your time. Can we talk somewhere more...private?”

 

“Sure.” Katniss indicated to a booth at the very end of the restaurant.  “I’m still on my shift so I can’t stay too long,” she said, giving herself an out if she needed it.

 

Coin gave her a bemused look before responding, “Of course.  This won’t take very long. Gentlemen,” she turned to what appeared to be her two very large companions, “I’ll need a few minutes alone with Ms. Everdeen.”  They responded by taking seats at the diner while another waitress, Rue waited on them.

 

“I appreciate that your time is valuable, Ms. Everdeen,” Coin began, and Katniss could not determine whether the older woman was making fun of her or not.  Her blandly impassive face gave nothing away.

 

“How did you find me?” Katniss said abruptly.

 

“Your license plate, of course.  I make it a point to get to know all of Mr. Mellark’s contacts.”  Coin lifted her hands to place them delicately on the table top. “Now, I’ve also looked into your background and you appear to have a skill set I might be able to use.”

 

“Excuse me, but my background?  You don’t have any right to snoop into my life!” Katniss hissed.  This woman suddenly turned her stomach and she stood to leave the booth.

 

“Please, Ms. Everdeen, may I call you Katniss?” Coin asked in an effort to keep her from leaving.  Katniss froze in place, her face expressionless.  “Yes?  Well, Katniss, I didn’t look into anything that wasn’t a matter of public record.  I simply searched for information that would be useful to a potential employer.”  Katniss stared blankly at her, not quite understanding what she wanted to say.  “A job, Katniss, and a well-paying one at that.”

 

“You mean, you want me to work for you?” she asked, slowly returning to her seat.

 

Coin smiled again, removing a thick envelope from her jacket pocket.  “If you agree, this would be the advance. It’s a one-shot deal, after which I would not bother you again.  Go ahead, look inside.”

 

Katniss opened the envelope and felt the color drain from her face. It was cash; a thick stack of hundred dollar bills.  She’d never seen that much money all at once. Despite her unease, she couldn’t help but calculate all the things she could do with the money - pay bills, buy more groceries than their rusted refrigerator had ever seen, clothes for Prim, maybe set something aside for school books for Prim’s community college next year - Katniss’ mind raced with the possibilities.

 

“This is a lot of money,” she said quietly.

 

Coin smiled and Katniss suddenly felt like a mouse trapped in a corner.  “Yes, it is.  And there’s more of it, if you decide to take the job. Half now and half when you are done.”

 

Katniss looked at the money, setting it down carefully on the counter as if it would dissolve in her hands.  “What exactly do you want me to do?”

 

Coin leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.  “Nothing you haven’t done before.  There’s something I...require, and I would like you to retrieve it on my behalf.”

 

“You want me to steal something for you?” Katniss asked. “I’m not exactly a cat burglar.  I got caught one time, shoplifting some boots…”

 

“Three times, Katniss, you got caught three times. That means you’ve gotten away with it ten-fold. I don’t need Catwoman to do this, I am in need of an individual who can go where I cannot.  Unfortunately, I can’t steal it or I would do it myself.  I’m...too well known...in certain circles.  But you would be completely innocuous.  We’ll dress you up…” Coin said this as she lifted Katniss’ braid, studying her as a stylist would study their model.  “You’ll look like the sweetest young lady.  You’ll take the item that I want and bring it to me, after which I will give you the other half of your payment.”

 

“How much?  It has to be worth my while because if I get caught again, I’m over the age of 18. It won’t be juvie anymore,” Katniss watched the older woman, who seemed to anticipate the objection.

 

“Ten thousand dollars if you complete the job. If you get caught, your family gets to keep the advance. It should help them get through if something happens to you.  I know how much they depend on you.”

 

Katniss could feel the color rise to her face. “Was that part of your background check also?”

 

“I make it a point to know everything I can about my potential employees.” Coin leaned forward again, dropping her voice.  “However, if you do get caught and try to implicate me, my friends,” she cocked her head over to the two burly men still nursing their coffees at the counter, “Will go pay your family a visit and collect the advance.  And they won’t be polite about it.  I will be depending on your discretion but also your skill. I know you will try at all costs not to get caught.”

 

Katniss shivered from the implications of her words as she stared at the envelope.  Though she was debating with herself the merit of Coin’s offer, she already knew what her answer would be...how could she decide otherwise?   It was the devil’s bargain but all she had to do was see Prim’s face floating before her to make that decision.

 

“Yes. I’ll do it.”

 

“Good,” Coin said and even after having gotten what she wanted, she appeared no warmer than before. “My assistants will bring everything you will need to your home.” She handed Katniss a card.  “We will meet at this location tomorrow at six o’clock. I have it on good authority that you are not scheduled to work.”  She seemed to look Katniss over.  “Don’t wear too much makeup - I can make any last minute touch-ups when you arrive.”  Coin stood, smoothing the wrinkles of her pants as Katniss considered what she had just agreed to.

 

“If I change my mind?” she asked suddenly.

 

“If you change your mind, my associates will be at your home to recover the advance.  If you are feeling that uncertain, perhaps you shouldn’t spend any of it until the job is done.”   Coin turned to the exit, her large companions already in place before the small entourage exited the diner, the tiny bell chiming in their wake.

 

“Who was that, K?” Johanna asked as she watched Coin and her two assistants drive off in a non-descript black sedan.

 

Katniss shook her head, unsure if Coin’s visit was a break or a stroke of bad luck.  

 

“Let’s go home, Jo and I’ll tell you all about it.”

 

**XXXXX**

 

Katniss found the package, wrapped in brown butcher-paper on the doorstep of her apartment. She thought about the risk Coin had taken to leave anything unattended in this neighborhood when it occurred to Katniss that Coin’s goons might be watching.  

 

“Get inside, quick!” Katniss practically shoved Johanna into the apartment.

 

“Wha-?” she said, stumbling past the doorway as Katniss kicked the package inside.

 

“Shhhh!” Katniss shut the door behind her, leaning heavily on it.  “They’re probably watching!”

 

“Watching what?  Don’t be so paranoid!” clipped Johanna as she placed the package on the kitchen table.  

 

“No! The bedroom!  I don’t want mom or Prim to ask questions.”  They dashed into Katniss’ room, where she promptly closed the door behind them. “That lady knew everything about me, Jo.”

 

“Whatever, I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

 

“You can’t!  I’m not supposed to tell anyone,” Katniss felt her eyes go wide with a sudden stab of fear.  Her instincts told her that Coin woman was capable of all kinds of mayhem.  “I shouldn’t have agreed to this.”

 

“And turn down ten thousand dollars?  You been smoking Old Chaffe’s pipe, again?” Johanna leapt onto the bed and ripped the package open.

 

“That was one time and I was only 15!”

 

“You were so fucking stoned out your mind!  You kept singing _This Girl Is On Fire_ and flapping your wings like a drunk turkey…”

 

“Fuck you,” Katniss said but chuckled nonetheless at the memory. As she pulled open the last of the paper, she took hold of a soft material that reminded her of ballerina dresses and frilly curtains.  It was a soft pink dress that shimmered like candle light.  Katniss held it against her - it fell directly below her knees and had two delicate shoulder straps. Inside the package was a knitted pink bolero jacket that fit perfectly with the dress.

 

Johanna whistled appreciatively. “That’s a nice dress!  And look, there are shoes and even underwear.  That strange lady got you some underwear!”

 

“Earrings too!” Katniss exclaimed. “This is a whole lot of pink though.  I’m gonna look like a kid in this dress.”

 

“And if you’re supposed to take something…”

 

“I can stash it here,” Katniss said, holding up the last item from the package - a medium sized, bubblegum-colored purse.  “Now I have a bag the color of Pepto too. My life is complete.”

 

They laughed but Katniss suddenly lost her humor. Setting the things carefully in her closet so as not to rouse her sister’s or mother’s suspicions, Katniss sat down heavily on the bed.  Johanna scooted next to her, bumping her on the shoulder.  

 

“She wouldn’t have come to me if I weren’t a two-bit thief,” Katniss looked over at her friend.  

 

“We’re survivors, K.  That doesn’t make you a bad person, if that’s what’s bugging you.”

 

“No, but I just wish...I wish I wasn’t always just surviving,” Katniss said, eyeing the pink ballerina shoes peeking from the opening in her closet as if taunting her with their coyness.

 

“Well, maybe your luck’s about to change.  This could be your big break,” Jo said.  “But I’m too fucking hungry to be philosophical. Let’s eat.”

Katniss gave her a half-smile. “Sounds good,” she answered but she couldn’t help the feeling of dread that stole over her and she wondered suddenly just what kind of luck she really had.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Katniss appeared the next day at the address on the given card at exactly 5:50. It was a coffee shop in Southside, the avant-garde art district of Panem City.  Unlike Museum Mile, which supported the Panem City Museum of Art, Southside was all about up and coming artists, digital designers and hip, interactive exhibits. Katniss usually felt less out of place in this part of town and could enjoy the gallery fronts and cafes much more than on the Mile, which practically screamed old money. Her ripped jeans and father’s old leather jacket blended in better in this part of town, where poverty and a certain decrepitude was deemed a necessary rite of passage for young artists.

 

Except perhaps for today. She was dressed in an outfit that made her look like a Barbie doll, and not a very tall one either. She’d brushed her hair out - though she would have preferred her braids, and dispensed with the makeup altogether except for a lip gloss that made her olive skin glow.  Katniss was dark, like her father, with coal-black hair and grey eyes that were large and luminous in her face. She was proud of her eyes, for their shape and their similarity to her father’s, though she questioned the success of her look today.

 

“Yes, that will do,” she heard Coin say. The black sedan materialized out of nowhere and was parked next to her in front of the cafe.  

 

“The gallery is at the end of this block.  Here is the object in question.” She handed Katniss a picture of what appeared to be an old, dented brass lamp. It looked more like a trinket than a treasure. Catching Katniss’ expression, Coin chuckled, “It doesn’t look like much but it means a great deal to me.  We will meet at the Ferry on 58th street at eight o’clock sharp.  That should give you some time to work.”

 

“I...this dress...doesn’t it make me...stand out?” she asked, looking down at her bon-bon outfit.

 

“No, it’s an exhibit opening.  There will be many people in attendance and in semi-formal attire. You can use the distraction of the crowd to look for the lamp. You will not find it on the main display floor but in one of the artifact rooms.  The owner has no clue what he has in his possession.”  Coin’s lips curled into a smile that made her look like she’d just swallowed a canary.  “Remember, 58th street Ferry at eight.  You’ll be going into that building there. Here is your exhibit pass.  Try not to speak to anyone but if you do, you are an art student at Panem City University. They won’t know that faculty there.  And here,” she took out what looked like a piece of folded pink material.  “Gloves.  Don’t leave fingerprints and don’t rub the lamp. It is very delicate.  Best to put the lamp directly into the bag.”

 

“Pink gloves.” Katniss muttered. _How predictable_. She wondered if Coin collected plates decorated with cats and drank tea as she plotted her crimes, a thought that almost made Katniss burst out into laughter.  Instead, she nodded at Coin and turned in the direction of the gallery, donning her gloves as she did so.  She felt perfectly ridiculous.   Katniss looked down at the swishing material and wondered if Prim could convert the material into something more practical.

 

Katniss arrived in front of the gallery, which looked like a dance club from the outside. It was part of a warehouse-sized building with spaces that had been converted into several studios.  The largest studio, Cinna’s Factory, was the one hosting the exhibit she was interested in. Entering the large, double-doors, she handed her exhibit pass to a tall, slender woman in silver and pink sequins, who scanned the her list for Katniss’ name.

 

“I love your dress! Pink is all the rage this year,” she said breathlessly. “Enjoy the show!”

 

Katniss smiled politely before facing the spectacle before her.  The atmosphere was more subdued than it appeared from the outside - large, paintings hung on the walls, illuminated by strategic lighting that bathed the walls without being too sharp.  People in various states of dress milled around with drinks and plates of hors d'oeuvres as they talked in small groups or stood alone to contemplate the art work.  

 

Katniss was actually surprised by how much she enjoyed the displays as she made her way around the room.  There were drawings of Sultans and princesses, camels and oasis hanging about, painted in deep, sharp colors with clear borders.  It was a striking style and one picture in particular drew Katniss’ attention.  There was a beautiful, dark Arabic woman  holding a lamp from which issued smoke partly resolved into the shape of a man.  The Genie was imposing and powerful and yet it was clear that the woman in the picture had the power over him.  She stared for a long time at the painting, captivated by the colors and lines.

 

“You like this painting?”

 

Katniss was startled by the voice of the speaker, a voice that was melodic and intimate, though he stood a discreet distance away from her.

 

“Er, em, yes, I do.”

 

“A variation on the fairy tale **_Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp_**.  Here, it is the princess who holds the genie in her thrall.  My entire exhibit is a retelling of eastern fairy tales, how those retellings still leave the viewer with something fundamentally recognizable.”  The man who spoke was as gripping as the painting - he was beautiful, brown-skinned with short, dark curly hair and eyes whose color was somewhere between green and brown. Flecks of gold were painted onto his eyelids but otherwise, in his sensible black suit and black dress shirt, he looked nothing like the artistic types who floated around them.

 

“You’re Cinna?” Katniss asked, somewhat starstruck though she knew nothing about art, studios or him.

 

“Yes,” he smiled and gave a half-bow.

 

“It’s a beautiful painting,” Katniss said sincerely.  

 

Cinna smiled at her, nodding his head.  “Thank you.  I get an earful of how my paintings are Warhol-esque or recall the blue and red phases of this or that artist.  Rarely does someone tell me they like my art simply because it’s beautiful to them,” he took Katniss’ gloved hand and kissed the tips of her finger lightly. “That is the best possible compliment and i’m grateful.  Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

 

Katniss cradled one hand gently in her other one, as if it had been marked by a saint.  She looked back at the girl in the swaths of powder blue, her long, dark hair hair and slanted, almond-shaped eyes staring down the genie.  

 

She mentally shook herself.   _Don’t forget why you’re here_. She glanced down at her pass and observed that there was a floor-plan of all the exhibit rooms in the studio.  She traveled from one room to another, making her way through the crowds that moved like floating soap bubbles on the surface of a bath, each merging and separating in a continuous dance as the art served as a backdrop for their conversations.  After nearly forty-five minutes of wandering farther and farther from the main milieu, Katniss finally entered a room that looked like no more than an office.  The small display light illuminated the room in a soft glow and, without having to study each stand, Katniss saw the thing she was searching for. It was in a glass case and looked far smaller than it did in the photograph. A bent, dirty, ill-treated lamp resting precariously on crooked legs on a large, white stand that diminished it even further.  

 

Katniss studied the case and saw that there was no wiring. Likely, it was just to keep more dust from settling on the artifact. There was a sign that said “ _Do not touch the objects in display case_ ,” which was ironic because it was exactly what she intended to do.

 

Lifting the glass, which she expected to be heavier, Katniss captured the narrow metal handle and in one deft move, slipped the lamp inside her large bag.  Setting everything back into place, she turned to leave as she had entered when she suddenly heard a shuffling outside the door.  Katniss froze in place. She was so close to completing her mission - she just needed to get out of that room.  Looking around at the space, she noticed a small door to the back.  On quiet feet, she tip-toed towards it and tested the knob.  It appeared to be an exit to a back hallway.  Just as she walked down the darkened corridor, she heard the angry shouts and knew her crime had been discovered too soon.

 

In the grip of a panic, Katniss broke into a run.  She tested each door until she arrived at the one that had the red Exit sign over it.  Pressing on the metal bar, she pushed it open and jumped when a siren went off.  She had noticed too late the sign that said ‘Emergency Exit Only,’ and inadvertently set off the fire alarm.  Without heed, Katniss raced down the alleyway, bursting out onto the street where she’d met Coin earlier.  Even though it could not have been possible, she felt all eyes on her, as if everyone knew what she’d done.  She ran North on the boulevard, hoping to be able to slip down into the Southside Station and take the train to 58th Street when she heard a loud honking behind her.

 

“Hey, brainless, hop on!”  

 

Katniss was never so relieved to see either Johanna or the Old Goat like she was at that moment.  Glancing behind her, she saw a crowd of people emptying onto the sidewalk in front of Cinna’s Factory. Most likely, they were reacting to the fire alarm by exiting the building. Katniss felt a pang of guilt for having committed a crime against a person as lovely as Cinna. She remembered his good manners, the pleasure of knowing how much she loved his art and the sound of his kind voice. She almost choked with the shame of it and wondered yet again what kind of luck this lamp would bring her.  Leaning against Johanna, she silently prayed that the scooter would fly far away from the scene to a place where no one would find them again.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Johanna parked under one of the large underpasses near Riverside Park. Just beyond the World War II monument, the river churned impatiently under the gleaming light of the spring moon.   They both dismounted, surveying the area to make sure they were alone.

 

“We should be okay here,” Johanna said as they crouched down in the tunnel.  “Let me see it!”

 

“See what?  It’s an old lamp.  Shit, can you believe I could have ended up in jail over a dirty antique?” Katniss groused but she was curious also. Reaching into the bag, she held the lamp in the dim light of the moon.  “I told you it was a ratty old lamp.  And it’s even filthy!” she said, trying to rub a smudge along its dented side.

 

“It’s sure is ugly as fuck…” but the words died on Johanna’s lips as a bulbous smoke streamed from the spout, the lamp shaking and glowing in Katniss’ hands.  She almost dropped the thing in shock when the smoke resolved itself into a man, somewhat middle aged, with black, shoulder length hair and grey eyes, not unlike Katniss’.  He held a flask in his hand and wore a simple untucked white linen shirt and loose fitting linen pants that had probably been pressed sometime during the age of the dinosaurs.

 

“Who are you calling ‘ugly as fuck’?  You’re not exactly a supermodel yourself, kid,” he drawled. Both Katniss and Johanna stared at him in open-mouthed wonder as he stretched dramatically.  “Ah, ten-thousand years will give you a fierce backache.  Well, I get out every now and then but I’ve spent most of them cooped up in that thing,” he jabbed his finger in the direction of the lamp in Katniss’ hand.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” exclaimed Johanna when she’d recovered from the initial shock.

 

“Well, aren’t you a regular Shakespeare?”  Turning his attention towards Katniss, he bowed deeply. “My name is Haymitch and I am a genie.  According to the rules of genie-land, or whatever, you are my master.” He straightened up, studying Katniss with a hand on his jaw. “You’re younger than usual. What, are you twelve or something?”

 

“We’re both over twenty!” Johanna answered, glaring at the gruff genie.

 

“I stand corrected.   _Master_ looks like she’s twelve. _You...”_ He indicated towards Johanna. “...could use a make-over.  Too bad you can’t wish for one.”

 

“What the…?” Johanna made to get to her feet but Katniss stopped her.

 

“Master?” Katniss said slowly.

 

“Well, the girl can talk!  Congratulations!  Yes, you are my master and I am here for your wish-fulfillment.”

 

“Wishes?” Katniss repeated.

 

“Are you a girl or a parrot?” he snapped his fingers in her face. “Get with the program!  Yes, you get three wishes.  I suggest you think long and hard about them, because that’s all you get.  You have no idea the kind of power you have here.”

 

“So she can ask for anything she wants?” Johanna interjected, at which Haymitch glared at her.

 

“Yeah, sidekick.  With a few exceptions.  I can’t kill anybody, so don’t even ask. I can’t bring back the dead - trust me, I did it one time and it almost turned into a zombie invasion,” Katniss’ eyes went wide at the thought of it, “Not pretty.  You can't ask for more wishes and I can’t make anyone fall in love.  Everything else is fair game.”

 

“Look at the shape of him,” Johanna said, jabbing her thumb in his direction.  “Some all-powerful genie he is, K.  I bet he can’t even get us back home.” She laughed derisively, shaking her head.

 

“You know what?  You’d make a really good jackass. I haven’t sat on one of those since the time of Jesus.” Haymitch raised his hand, which began to glow with a soft, gold light.

 

“Genie!” exclaimed Katniss.  “I did _not_ wish for that!”

 

Haymitch scowled, eyeing Johanna with irritation.  “She challenged me and I don’t appreciate being challenged.” He waved his hands and suddenly, they were in Katniss’ living room.

 

“Shut you up, didn't I?” he spat at Johanna.

 

“Yeah, but you forgot the scooter.” she said smugly, crossing her arms.

 

Haymitch’s lips curled into a smirk as he snapped his fingers.  In the corner of the room appeared the Old Goat, much to Katniss’ relief. No amount of money or magic could replace her trusted scooter.

 

“You’re down two wishes now, so make the last one count,” Haymitch said.

 

“No I’m not!” protested Katniss. “That was Johanna.  She’s not your master.”

 

Haymitch practically turned purple, becoming flustered.  “You think you’re clever, don’t you?  You won’t be tricking me out of any more wishes.”

 

“Yeah, well, you sure showed me, didn’t you,” said Johanna, smiling to herself as she collapsed onto the sofa.

 

Haymitch eyed her as Katniss paced the living room, considering her situation.

 

“If it’s true, then I get to ask for whatever I want,” she said to herself, the enormity of the situation becoming apparent to her.  “I don’t even know where to start.  Genie…”

 

“You could call me Haymitch, you know. I’m not going to go around calling you ‘Master,’ or sunshine over here ‘Jackass.’”

 

“Haymitch,” Katniss said firmly, cutting off Johanna’s retort.  “What would you wish for if you had three wishes?”

 

“Well, that’s easy,” he sat down exceedingly close to Johanna, making her grunt in disgust.  Pulling out a flask, he took a long swig in self-satisfaction. “I’d ask for freedom.”

 

“Freedom?” Katniss said with a pang, thinking of Peeta and the way he’d stared at the squalid gas station as if he were seeing a bejeweled palace for the first time.  “Aren’t you free?”

 

“It’s part and parcel of the whole Genie-gig,” said Haymitch, swinging his arm out and nearly knocking Johanna in the nose.  “Sorry, kid.  As I was saying, that’s the trade-off.  Infinite, cosmic power, teeny-tiny living space.”  Haymitch suppressed a burp, to which Johanna responded with a gagging sound.

 

“That’s awful!” Katniss exclaimed, seeing Peeta in her mind being herded by his handlers, just because he’d behaved like a normal young man.   _Freedom to make my own choices._

 

“Yeah, it’s ‘Poof, how can I serve you. Poof, what is your wish?’  All the power and no freedom - who needs that?” Haymitch took another swig of his flask.  “At least I can drink as much as I want.”

 

“What would free you?” Johanna asked, pulling the flask from his hand and taking a long draught from it. “Hey, this booze isn’t half bad!”

 

“I have good taste, I’ll have you know,” he muttered.  “My master would have to wish it. Guess how many times that happens?”  

 

Katniss looked at him but it was Peeta she saw in her mind - his clear blue eyes and his longing to be his own person. She also saw Prim and her college paid for, her mother visiting a real doctor for her depression, Johanna, dressed, fed and not having to go home to a drunk mother who did nothing but insult her all day long.  Katniss longed for everything to be right in the world and for freedom from the drudgery of her life.

 

“Okay, I’ll use my last wish to free you,” Katniss said quietly, understanding now why Coin wanted the lamp so badly.  It gave the holder the power to rewrite her personal history and those of the people around her. It was heady power and Katniss hoped to choose wisely, for the benefit of those she cared for the most.  

 

“You’re serious?” Haymitch asked, his shock mirrored on Johanna’s face.

 

“Yes!  But you have to help me make some things happen. I’ve got my sister, see, she’s the sweetest girl in the world and smarter than anyone I know and she deserves a chance to be happy.  I don’t want her to have to go around, shoplifting and working in a grimy diner like me just to get by. And then there’s my mother - she’s still not over my dad dying and maybe, if she had a good shrink, she might get back to normal.  Johanna here’s spent as much time as me being hungry and shit on by life.”  Katniss was almost pleading as she kept going through her list,  “I’d like to see her in a better situation. And there’s this boy…”

 

Haymitch raised his eyebrow. “I told you, I can’t make people fall in love.”

 

“I know, I know but it’s not that. Not really. He just wants his parents to lighten up on him.  And yeah, I like him and he might give me the time of day if I was somebody.  But I might be able to help him if I had a little more, you know, just _more_ …”

 

“So what are you asking for, sweetheart?”

 

Katniss spread her hands. “Just, make me rich.  At least as rich as the Mellark’s. I’ll figure it out from there.”

 

“Well, master, your wish is my command.”

 

Haymitch’s hands lit up, golden orange globes of energy growing until Katniss’ vision was blinded by the light. When she could see again, she looked around in expectation and found…

 

“Everything’s the same!” she huffed in frustration.

 

“Well, what did you expect, Sweetheart?  You asked for wealth.  Wealth is only visible when you buy stuff with it.  Look in your bag.”

 

“Katniss, this guy is full of it.” Johanna jumped off the sofa.  “We need to get out of here. The minute Coin figures out you’re not going to meet her with that lamp, she’ll be heading straight here. And I, for one, am not in the mood to talk to her goons.”

 

“No, Jo, he’s actually right! I’ve got check books and credit cards and holy shit, cash!”  Katniss looked up, beaming.  “We’ve got cash - tons of it!!”  

 

“Well, grab your stuff and pick up your mom and Prim and let’s get out of here.”

 

“But where do we go?” Katniss asked.

 

“Use your imagination,” Haymitch said, flipping through the cable channels.

 

Johanna’s eyes lit up.  “I have an idea!”

 

“Oh, I’m breathless with expectation,” Haymitch mocked before dissipating and slipping back inside the lamp.

 

**_End Part 1_ **

 

**XXXXX**

 

  
  



	2. Part 2 of 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If a fleet of people helped me with part 1 of this fic, an army came to my aid for part 2. I have to give special thanks to Everybirdfellsilent and Peetasallhehasleft for organizing the challenge on behalf of EverarkianArchives and to the great crowd over on Everlarkianarchiveschat for creating a welcoming environment for writers to hang out :).
> 
> Betas - or more like chat party buddies - were Jamiesommmers23 (your saucy wench) Abbythebear (editor in the zone), Katnissdoesnotfollowback (who actually does follow back) and Peetabreadgirl (I'll never look at jelly the same way again), all of whom tolerated my winding sentences, vague pronoun references and extremely repetitive use of the word HUNGER (PBJ, anyone?).
> 
> Now off to invade another Google Doc!
> 
> Also a heartfelt thanks to Ombradellaluna, for the beautiful artwork and her generosity towards everyone in the EverlarkianArchives' group. Just a really sweet girl and brilliant artist <3.

**Shining, Shimmering, Splendid**

**_Unbelievable sights_ **

**_Indescribable feeling_ **

**_Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling_ **

**_Through an endless diamond sky_ **

 

**_A whole new world_ **

**_Don't you dare close your eyes_ **

**_A hundred thousand things to see_ **

**_Hold your breath - it gets better_ **

**_I'm like a shooting star_ **

**_I've come so far_ **

**_I can't go back to where I used to be_ **

**From _A Whole New World -_ Lyrics written for the feature film, _Aladdin_**

**Part 2**

“I’ll never get over this view,” Prim said as she pressed her nose up to the glass of their Penthouse suite.  From where Katniss lay on the loveseat, it appeared as if Prim were floating in the glass, especially when she pulled back and the reflection became more resolute.  

Prim wasn’t wearing Katniss’s hand-me-downs, or any of her second-hand shop wardrobe. Katniss had withered under the scrutiny of the other hotel patrons upon arriving at the Four Seasons almost a month ago, with their expensive haircuts and designer outfits. The first thing Katniss had done when they’d settled into the hotel was take her mother, sister and Johanna shopping and gotten them cleaned up.  

Katniss was mostly clueless and Johanna was even worse than her. Luckily, the concierge of the hotel was able to recommend a personal shopper who was willing to take on the ragtag group of women.  After several hours in Macy’s and an additional day in the hotel’s lavish spa, Katniss was satisfied that all four of them looked like they could be trotted out in public.

Prim and Mrs. Everdeen wondered where Katniss had gotten her fortune, suspecting that she might have finally exceeded the daring of stealing from convenience stores and clothing shops and graduated to more lucrative crimes. The insinuation that Katniss might have resorted to selling drugs prompted her to lie to her mother and sister. In the midst of the events of that fateful night, it had never occurred to either Katniss or Johanna to actually devise a fool-proof story for becoming hundreds of millions of dollars richer. So Katniss, who was already a poor liar, stumbled through a laughable explanation about winning the lottery and wanting to surprise them with an extended stay at the Four Seasons.

“It was all Johanna’s idea.” Katniss repeated to her sister the story they had contrived.  “We needed somewhere to stay and she thought of here.” Katniss uncurled herself from where she lay and walked over to the window, skirting the grand piano in the middle of the living room. She glanced over at it as she walked by, repressing the desire to run her fingers over the heavy white and black keys and decided at that moment that she’d pay someone to teach her how to play.  That way, she could play for herself all the wonderful music her father had taught her to love. She could do that. She could finally do whatever she wanted for herself and for her family and it was the most incredible feeling in the world.

“We’ll look for a place close to wherever you want to study.” Katniss turned Prim towards her, her seventeen year old baby who would soon be graduating high school and going off to any college that would take her.  “I don’t care if it’s in Panem City, California or Europe. If there’s a school you want to go to, you’ll go there. We can pay for anything now.”

Prim’s face broke into a wide grin, her blue eyes brightening with happiness.  She was so much like their mother when she’d been happy and not worn down by grief and poverty.  “I could choose Beijing Polytechnic and you’d go there with me?” she teased.  

Katniss chuckled along with her.  “To the moon, if that’s what you want. The sky’s the limit!”

Prim gave her a tight hug.  “I don’t think I really want to study anywhere else but Panem City University. I want to live in the midtown campus though, near Central Park.  We could travel, maybe on school holidays, to different places.”

“Whatever you want, Little Duck. It’s yours,” Katniss beamed at her, using the moniker that her father had given Prim when she was very young. “Now, you’d better get to bed. You have school tomorrow and the car will be here for you at 7.30.”

Prim nodded. “I’ll just read in bed for a little bit before I go to sleep. I have that pile of books to get through,” she chuckled and Katniss could not help but remember the look in Prim’s eyes when she had taken her to the giant Barnes and Nobles in midtown. She’d never seen so many books in one place and had brought home literally a cart full of things to read which were now stacked like little watchtowers around her room.

“You’ll never get through them all,” Katniss teased.

“Oh, you watch me,” Prim said, leaving a kiss on her big sister’s cheek before disappearing into her bedroom.

Katniss made her way to the second bedroom, knocking quietly on the door. “Mom?”

“Come in,” came a voice that sounded like a breeze.

Mrs. Everdeen sat at the cherrywood desk, writing in a journal. She turned and Katniss was suddenly taken aback by the difference in her mother. Ever since her husband passed away, Mrs. Everdeen had seemed like a ghost ready to blow away with the wind. After his death, she lost interest in her appearance, her blond hair becoming dull with neglect, and she lost weight from lack of interest in food.  The worst part was, for almost a year, she even lost interest in her own daughters. That was when Katniss had to resort to stealing to keep them fed, whether it was the free breakfast and lunches at school or lifting bread from the local corner store. It had been a brutal time and Katniss still resented her mother for her mental illness. Luckily, her mother had snapped out of it enough to go back to work,but her depression was something she struggled with and made it that much harder for the three of them to get by.

Sitting at her desk in her robe and slippers, however, her mother looked like another woman. With barely a month of therapy, decent food and good maintenance, she was blossoming into a beautiful woman. Her eyes still carried a haunted shadow - Katniss was pretty sure that no amount of therapy would take that look away from her - but she had put on weight and looked healthy, even radiant. Though her blond hair was the same color as Prim’s and it gleamed in waves over her shoulder. A deep well of feeling opened up in Katniss, an eruption of longing that she had to clamp down on so she wouldn’t cry.

“What are you working on?” Katniss asked, choking back her emotions as she walked over and knelt down next to where her mother sat.

“Dr. Aurelius gave me homework. He doesn’t take it well when I come in without my reflection journal done,” she said with her soft voice. She brushed a hair away from Katniss’ cheek, the sensation of her mother’s hands on her skin eliciting a feeling of warm comfort that she had rarely felt after her father’s death. They weren’t to the point where they could talk about that - they didn’t have the language yet - but maybe someday they would.

“Well, don’t make him mad.” As she straightened up, Katniss wanted to tell her that it was worth the madness of the last few weeks if it meant maybe getting her mother back, but wished her a good night instead.

“Yes. Good night to you too, dear.”

Katniss nodded, flushed with something close to happiness when she shut her mother’s bedroom door behind her. She hadn’t been her “dear” in more than eight years.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Despite the calm of the last few weeks, Katniss could not get Coin’s threats our of her mind. Most of the time, she could keep the idea of the stolen lamp at bay by focusing on other aspects of her life.  Sometimes she was lulled into believing that Coin would not see her threats all the way through. But there were moments when the consequences of not meeting Coin at the pier that fateful night weighed on her. There was only one person with whom she could discuss the matter.

“Jo, Coin is probably pissed about the lamp.” Katniss said as visions of the woman’s retribution captured her imagination.

Johanna shrugged. “So what if she’s pissed? She has no proof you stole it. Just tell her other things came up.”

“She’s not stupid! She’ll know that I stole the lamp, figured out how it worked and broke our bargain.”

Johanna sat up suddenly. “Do you still have the advance she gave you?”

“Most of it.” Katniss brightened somewhat. “I should give it back to her and tell her that I never took the lamp.”

“She can’t show that you stole it,” Johanna shrugged, satisfied with the solution.  “It was a coincidence that the lamp just happened to disappear the same night you were supposed to take it. And an even bigger coincidence that you won the lottery too! She has some pretty bad luck, if you ask me,” Johanna put her feet up on the coffee table. “I hear there are lots more lamps where that one came from.”

“I don’t think there are many lamps with genies just lying around.”  Katniss laughed at the idea of it.

“Not with genies like Haymitch, I bet. What a pain,” groused Johanna.

A disembodied voice came from behind her, causing her to jump. “I’m one of a kind, brat.”

Johanna turned with fire in her eyes. “I have a name, twinkle-toes.”

Haymitch materialized. Katniss eyed both of them as they began to bicker again. “All I’m saying is genies aren’t made everyday. It’s more of a punishment than a curse.”

“Oh, who cares? And it’s really creepy of you to go snooping around while you’re invisible.  Freak,” Johanna scowled before her face went white. “You don’t do that a lot, do you?”

Haymitch gave a slow smile, leaning against the back of the sofa.  “Only when you’re taking a bath.”

Jo gagged in disgust as Katniss’ eyes went wide in horror. “Haymitch, I swear, if you do that, I’ll wish you all the way to the moon!”

Haymitch chuckled as his form began to dissolve again. “You guys have no sense of humor.”

 

**XXXXX**

 

Preoccupied with her conversation with Johanna and thoughts of Coin’s anger, Katniss sought to distract herself by leafing through the magazines the hotel so generously provided.  As she scanned the copies, she did a double take when caught a blond head peaking out from one of the numerous covers. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the curly blond hair and bold, blue eyes that belonged to Peeta Mellark. Straightening in her seat, she grabbed the magazine. It was a copy of _Forbes_ with the heading - _Heirs to the Kingdom_. He stood with his arms folded, his back leaning against those of two other boys who bore a remarkable resemblance to him, all sons of Dale and Sybil Mellark of the Mellark Corporation. Katniss couldn’t stop staring at the boy who had kept her from being arrested. On the cover of the magazine, he looked like a supermodel: his stance and stature as bold as the headline, as if he held the universe in the palm of his well-shaped hand.

As good as he looked, Katniss couldn’t help but feel she had experienced another Peeta Mellark - a lonely, sheltered boy, probably being shaped by his parents and his over-bearing protector as one of the heirs of the family empire, like a prince being groomed to lead his kingdom, alongside his brothers. The magazine boasted a type A personality, a handsome boy happily positioned to conquer the world. It was a stark contrast to the Peeta who had whooped loudly as they flew across the bridge on a scooter whose prime had come and gone long before he’d arrived on the planet. She’d met a sensitive soul desperate for a taste of freedom, not a boy embracing his destiny as King.

She flung the magazine away from her and paced her living room. As much as she wished to deny it, there wasn’t a day in which Peeta did not appear in her thoughts. Before she’d met Peeta, she would not have thought it possible - Katniss was not used to getting stuck on people. There was Johanna, of course, but she was allied to her through their shared history of deprivation. There had once been Gale. But outside of her tiny group of concern, Katniss was not the inviting type. She didn’t trust easily and she was not keen on becoming attached to anyone, out of shame for her station in life.

She wasn’t the same girl he’d met during the open-air concert. She had money now. In her mind, she was somebody, by virtue of her newfound wealth. She didn’t have to be ashamed of herself anymore. Maybe, if she was very clever, she could build something for herself - start a business or even go back to school. Then she’d have something to sustain her and, by doing so, have something to offer someone else.

She picked up the magazine and stared at the cover again. In particular, she took in his plump lips, remembering, with a wave of heat, the way they’d felt against her own.  It still astounded her that after a month, the memory of their excursion would still have that effect on her.  But then, she’d stolen a lamp, discovered a genie, and become rich almost at the same time, so her standard for insanity was permanently skewed.

She still gripped the magazine when Johanna came through the door, weighed down with packages.

“You know,” Johanna said as she shut the door behind her, “I could get used to this.”  She wore a brand new pair of black jeans, high-heeled black boots and a deep bronze colored t-shirt with strategic holes. Her hair had been cut in a stylish pixie cut, and styled to madness until it seemed to fly everywhere. It was a calculated chaotic look that suited her personality.

She dropped the bags on the chair and looked over Katniss’ shoulder at the magazine.  “Who’s that?”

Katniss clutched the magazine to her chest, trying to hide the cover but Johanna was faster than her. It was out of her hands in a flash.

“Which one is he?” she asked, studying the cover.

Katniss sighed.  “The youngest. The one on the right.”

“Hmm, hmm, I’d like to be the ham in that sandwich…” Johanna said appreciatively.

Katniss ripped the magazine out of her hand. “Don’t!”

“Don’t what? I’m just saying, they’re hot!” Johanna crossed her arms and stared at Katniss, raising her eyebrow, goading her on.  

“Why, thank you,” a gruff voice came from behind, startling both of them.

“That compliment wasn’t for you,” hissed Johanna.

A fog bearing Haymitch’s outline solidified before them. He had changed outfits and was wearing a casual thermal sweater with jeans and, though the weather was too warm for it, Katniss doubted that temperature was an issue in his lamp.

“Don’t worry, runt,” he drawled, tripping slightly on the rug “You’re going to realize that you can’t have all this and it’s going to tear you up,” he said, spreading his hands to indicate himself.

Johanna gasped in shock. “Nobody is even talking about you!  And who wants that anyway?”

Haymitch shrugged. “Suit yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Johanna stared at him in open horror before redirecting her attention to Katniss.  “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, you have it bad for Peeta and you can’t deny it.”

“I barely know him,” groused Katniss.

“Shit, Katniss, I’m all hot and bothered and I’m just looking at his picture. You actually saw him in person. Imagine if you got your hands on that,” Johanna laughed, flopping down on the sofa.

“Stop it. He probably doesn’t even remember me,” Katniss said, sitting down as if deflated.

“What you need to do is bump into him again. Why don’t you just track him down and talk to him?”

“I don’t know, Johanna.”

“Chicken.” Haymitch said simply.

Katniss’ eyes went wide. “What?”

“You know, for once, I agree with the old skunk-muffin.  You. Are. A. Chicken!” exclaimed Johanna.

“Coward,” offered Haymitch

“Spineless.”

“Wimp.”

“Wet rag.”

Katniss leapt off of the seat in frustration. “All right, all right! I get it!  I suck! What do you want me to do about it? I have to _be_ somebody for a guy like that to even notice me!”

“You said yourself that he already noticed you,” Haymitch said as he took another swig of his flask and passed it to Johanna.

“Yeah, if I had the money you have and I had a shot at a guy like that, I’d do something about it,” offered Johanna before taking a long draught of her own. “Damn, that shit’s good. What is it?”

“It isn’t shit, that’s for sure. It’s Jamaican rum, 1836, fresh off a schooner before it sank. I got a whole cave full of the stuff.”

“Really? Too bad I can’t take a look around,” Johanna said as she threw back another shot.

“I can arrange it if you promise not to be too much of a pain…”

“You guys are not helping at all!” shouted Katniss angrily.

“You could just wish to meet him.” Haymitch gave her a smug toast. “Your wish is my command, master.”

Katniss became flustered.  “I’m not going to wish for something I could find a way to do myself.”

“So you _are_ going to do something about it?” Johanna said excitedly.

Katniss froze in place, wringing her hands in frustration. She didn’t want to admit the real reason why she wasn’t tracking him down; she feared that perhaps the night they’d spent driving around the city had meant more to her than it did to him.

Meanwhile, Haymitch flipped through the magazine with an air of boredom before he froze on one of the pages. Snapping his fingers, he gave a small chuckle. “Oh, yeah. This is going to be good. You know what, sweetheart? I’m going to give you another freebee. But only because you said you’d wish me out of the lamp and anyway, I haven’t had this much fun since the Spanish Inquisition.” His hands began to glow, a deep orange flaming outwards. When the light receded, there were two envelopes in his hand.

“What are those?” asked Katniss.

Johanna grabbed the magazine from Haymitch and scanned the page he had been reading while Katniss grabbed the envelopes. Immediately, Johanna’s face broke into a wide grin.

“Brilliant! Who knew you had the brains for that?” Johanna laughed while shoulder bumping Haymitch.

Katniss meanwhile looked at the contents of the envelope in confusion. “These are invitations.”

“They’re not just any invitations, sweetheart. Those are tickets for the annual Mellark Charity Gala, taking place this weekend. You go pretty yourself up, pull a Cinderella, and you might catch your guy’s attention.”

“Yeah,” added Johanna, “And if you get some, you might not be so grumpy anymore.”

Katniss’ olive skin became pink with embarrassment and anger. “Okay, both of you, that’s none of your business!”

Haymitch took his flask back from Johanna’s outstretched hand, adding, “That _would_ explain the scowl, wouldn’t it?”

Katniss stomped angrily to her room as Johanna and Haymitch’s laughter chased behind her.  She reminded herself that she should actually thank Haymitch for giving her a chance to meet Peeta again. Just not right at that moment.

 

**XXXXX**

 

There could not be a greater difference in attitude about the night of the gala than that between Katniss and her sister. Prim had spent the entire week in a frenzy of excitement, trying on and removing dress after dress, accessories, and makeup. Katniss, on the other hand, became nauseous at the idea that she was about to go to great lengths to try to speak to Peeta again. The same things that excited Prim gave Katniss anxiety. And yet, when she thought she might actually be within reach of seeing him, her anxiety became fear, and then outright terror as the event approached.

Compounded with her nervousness about seeing Peeta again was Katniss fear of meeting Coin.  She had no doubt, the woman would be at the party.  Katniss could not see how she would get the opportunity to see Peeta without the risk of running into Coin.  She thought of ways to avoid the woman that did not involve missing the party but nothing viable came to mind.  By the time the eve of the gala was upon them, Katniss had worked herself into a frenzy.

“Calm down!  You are going to look amazing.” Prim said, mistaking the motive for Katniss’ anxiety as she leaned back in the makeup chair. The hotel beautician, Venia, and her assistant, Octavia, worked diligently on their hair, nails, and makeup in preparation for the evening.

“I am calm!” snapped Katniss. “Who knew it would take so long to get ready for something like this. Why don’t people do barbecues? I bet they’d make tons of money doing that.”

Prim chuckled at her sister, “Can you imagine trying to raise money for the Panem Museum of Art while eating barbecued chicken and corn on the cob? Katniss, this gala is like going to the Oscars!  People take pictures of you! You end up in magazines. It’s considered one of the most exclusive events in Panem City’s Social Calendar. I still can’t imagine how you scored invitations for it. They must have cost a fortune!”

“It’s all Hay-, never mind. I got lucky, that’s all.” Katniss turned to Prim, much to Venia’s chagrin. “I guess what matters is that you enjoy yourself.”

“Of course I’m going to enjoy myself! Anybody who matters is going to be there. I think we might be the only non-famous people at that ball,” Prim chuckled as she relaxed into the chair, her eyes becoming wide and dreamy. “I’d love to meet Bradley Cooper. I’d dance the whole night away with him.”

“You’re too young for him!”

“Hmm...age is just a number…” Prim answered and suddenly, Katniss questioned the wisdom of bringing her sister along.

**XXXXX**

The event was being held at the Panem Museum of Art, so they did not have far to travel. Prim hadn’t exaggerated about the decadence of the gala. From the moment they stepped out of the hired car and onto the red carpet, Katniss was blinded by flashing bulbs. She was sure they were meant for others but it still felt like every move she made was being documented on film.

She wore a floor length white dress that hugged her body all the way to the ground. It was sleeveless down to her biceps, where the fabric suddenly appeared, snug against her arms. From that point, the material flared and became pinched again around her wrists. Katniss, who never was particularly fond of dresses, became fixated on this particular one. It reminded her of the palm trees and oasis of her daydreams of the night of the concert, the night she’d gotten to know Peeta.  She left her hair loose and straight, held back by a gold band which only made her look more exotic.

Prim, in contrast, was a vision in a sleeveless cascade of powder blue, the material gathered at the waist before falling straight down to the floor.  She had piled her beautiful blond curls atop her head and threaded the strands through with crystal droplets, which, against her hair, made her appear as if she were sparkling. It was a lovely effect for her and though neither Katniss nor Prim were people of great importance, the cameras seemed to follow them until they entered the doors of the cocktail area.  

A sea of people lay before them, though Prim said there might be only 500 total in attendance. Katniss searched the faces before her, people of fame as well as those who might not be famous to the public but were clearly well-known amongst those in attendance.  Prim beamed happily, taking in the chandeliers, the exhibit halls, the decorations, and the outfits. She was radiant and confident, compared to Katniss, who couldn't stop shaking.

They made their way to the bar, where Katniss picked up a flute of champagne while Prim was served a ginger ale when they felt someone approach. Katniss almost dropped her glass when she realized it was Cinna from the art studio.

“I remember you,” he said, taking her hand and bowing deeply.  Katniss felt the blood drain from her face. She had had no idea that he, of all people, would be here and the force of it made her forget how to speak.

“I’m Prim, Katniss’ sister,” her sister interceded at Katniss’ extended silence. “My pleasure.”

“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. I’m Cinna. I was lucky enough to meet your sister at my studio during the opening night of my Arabian Nights’ exhibit.”

“Y...Yes. Now I remember,” Katniss swallowed, assuming control of her wayward nerves.  “It was a memorable exhibit.”

“All in all, despite everything, it actually turned out to be a lovely night,” he smiled, appraising both sisters, not lustfully but with the cool eye of one who spent a substantial amount of time evaluating beauty. “There was an unfortunate theft.”

Prim seemed taken aback. “That’s terrible!” she said, while Katniss was sure she would throw up.

“Oh, no worries. It was really just a trinket and more of a nuisance than anything else. You were probably long gone by then.” Cinna turned his attention to Katniss, her guilt making her feel as if his deep brown eyes were boring into the bottom of her conscience.

“Yes. In fact, I saw the main exhibit and went home soon after.”

“Indeed,” a rustling in the crowd distracted Cinna. “Ah, the master of ceremonies.”

Katniss looked to where Cinna was staring and felt her heart jump into her throat. On a raised dais at the back of the museum’s atrium stood an older gentleman with receding blond hair next to a slender blonde woman of regal bearing. Offering their glasses to the crowd for a toast, the older man spoke into the microphone. His words, however, were lost when Katniss’ eyes took in the three young men standing behind them. In a fine, dark blue suit with a fabulous turquoise blue shirt the color of the sea stood Peeta. Katniss lost all concept of where she was - if he was radiant the night she met him, he was something close to incandescent now.

She fumbled her glass and caught it before it fell, her gasp carrying across the crowd. Many of the attendees glanced around them but reverted their attention back to Mr. Mellark, who was still discussing the matter of their attendance and the historic purpose of the evening.  However, one pair of eyes was not on his father but landed squarely on the spot where she stood. Katniss froze as if impaled, unable to move under his scrutiny. He recognized her, his glass lowering imperceptibly from where it was poised at his lips. His eyes did not release their hold on hers until his father finished his speech, to polite applause.

Prim continued her conversation with Cinna as he introduced her to others in his group.  Katniss noted that they’d hit it off, though her attention was completely absorbed by Peeta.  As if being pulled by an invisible string, Peeta moved through the crowd, the distance between them closing until he was before her, not an apparition of her active imagination, but real and solid. Katniss was at a loss and did not trust herself to speak  

“There are entire movie plots based on this scenario,” he said by way of introduction, removing the glass from Katniss’ hand. “A secret agent, a dress, a gala and a mission.”

“Hello, Peeta,” Katniss rasped, unable to get control of her vocal chords.

“Katniss,” he said, his eyes bright with happiness, taking her hand and holding it, giving a slight bow. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“Funny how things work out,” she replied as he let her hand drop.

“I’m not surprised though,” he continued. “Not a lot of people tend to stick around once they realize they have to go through the Secret Service to get to me. At least, it’s never the people I want around.”

Katniss flushed pink, wondering if that meant she was one of those people he _did_ want around. Instead, she asked, “Where is your security detail? I’m surprised you don’t have a force field or something around you.”

“Oh, they're lurking around here somewhere. Generally, they only interfere with real life, not events like these.”

She smiled as Peeta’s eyes probed hers. She found herself having difficulty concentrating on anything else. That sense of swaying towards him, the feeling that she was magnetically drawn to him, returned to her ten-fold, making her feel as if she were a cloud floating above ground.

“Do…do you want to meet my sister? She’s here with me…” Katniss glanced around and saw Prim in the middle of a crowd of people with Cinna, engaged in an animated conversation.

As they made their way to the group, music filled the air. Katniss looked over at a large marble staircase with columns on either side. At the top of the first landing was a small orchestra comprised of a piano, violin, viola and drums. She closed her eyes as they warmed up, the dissonance of each instrument heralding the music to follow that always gave Katniss a thrill.  Peeta paused to study her, a small smile playing on his lips.

“You change whenever there is music,” he observed.

Katniss woke as if from a stupor, and, finding no appropriate response, brought Peeta to where Prim was deep in conversation with a lavishly dressed blond woman.    

“Effie, this is Katniss, my sister. Katniss, this is Effie Trinket, head designer of the House of Heavensbee.”

“A pleasure,” she trilled. Katniss was momentarily distracted by the impressive height she had achieved with her gold-colored hair. “We are all so delighted by your sister and in awe of her bone structure, which I see is clearly a family trait. I’ve given her my card – she simply must sit for a photo study – she would make the most extraordinary model for our design house.  Ahh, Peeta Mellark! So nice to see you mingling with your subjects.”

“Ah, right, yeah. I hope you’re enjoying the evening,” he said, suppressing a grin at the woman’s antics.

“Oh it is simply splendid. Marvelous!  As always, your family has outdone themselves.  Katniss, yes?  Katniss, you must simply let me borrow your sister. I have so many people to introduce her to!  No rest for the weary!”

“That’s entirely up to her, thank you,” Katniss added graciously. “Prim, this is my friend, Peeta Mellark. Peeta, this is my sister, Prim.

“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard Katniss talk about you,” she said sweetly, much to Katniss’ shock. She had never spoken to Prim about Peeta. In fact, she rarely spoke to Prim about any of her limited romantic issues, as she always thought her too young to understand.  Evidently, Prim had either been paying attention, or eavesdropping.

“Well, that’s nice to know,” Peeta said good-humoredly, further delighting in Katniss’ obvious embarrassment.

“Prim, dear, this is Karl!” Effie exclaimed, pulling Prim along and effectively ending her conversation with Peeta.

“Will she be okay with that lady?” asked Katniss skeptically.

“Oh, she’s in great hands. Effie’s a spaz but a very responsible one,” Peeta cocked his head as the music began.  “Do you waltz?”

“Oh, me? No. I’ve never danced before.”

“It’s easy. Just sway side to side. I’ll show you.”

Katniss nodded, somewhat in awe of everything, but in particular of him. He was showing no signs of leaving her alone tonight and it was so much more than she had hoped for.  When he’d found a place on the crowded dance space, he placed his left arm around her waist and took her left hand in his.  The music expanded with a slow lilt and Katniss found what Peeta had said was true – it was easy to sway to this music. She soon found herself relaxing in his arms.

Peeta peered down at her, his eyes suddenly aflame with something she did not recognize. It thrilled and frightened her at the same time, filling her with a heady sense of anticipation.

“You don’t know how happy I am to see you here,” he murmured quietly.  “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“I didn’t think I would either,” Katniss said honestly. Only her money made seeing him again possible.

“How did this happen?” Peeta stammered. “I’m sorry. It’s just so unexpected...”

Katniss sighed, rehearsing the words in her head. _I stole a lamp, right and there was this genie inside…_

“We came into some money. A very wealthy uncle passed away…” Katniss trailed off, her lie as pathetic as if she had invented it on the spot.

“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling her in closer to him.

“It’s okay.  We didn’t know him that well so it was a surprise for everyone.”  Katniss leaned her head onto his chest, the smell of his cologne surrounding her, plunging her into a heady state accented by the music and his arm around her waist.

They continued dancing in this way, even when the music changed tempo.  Katniss occasionally searched for her sister, who was happily chatting away or dancing, sometimes with Cinna. But mostly, Katniss enjoyed the music with Peeta, who patiently turned her about the dance floor, her white dress flaring around her calves. They moved happily, Peeta’s eyes never wandering from her as she stumbled through her dances.  

As Peeta swung her through another set of turns, Katniss bumped into a gentleman holding a half-glass of champagne. The frizzy liquid landed on the train of her gown, much to the man’s chagrin.  Katniss graciously accepted the offer of a handkerchief, dabbing at the spilled liquid.

“I’m so sorry!” he said, apologizing profusely even as his embarassed wife led him away.

“Is your dress ruined?” Peeta asked.

“No, not at all!” exclaimed Katniss, somewhat flustered by all the fuss as she bent to swab at the last of the off-colored stain. “At least now I can afford a dry cleaner,” she laughed, more to herself. When she straightened, she found Peeta’s staring at her with a soft, unreadable expression.

“Come with me,” Peeta said, holding out his hand. Katniss stared at it, her natural diffidence taking over.

“Please. Do you trust me?” he asked.

“What?” she asked, befuddled by his sudden change in demeanor.

“Do you trust me?”

It occurred to Katniss that it might not be the best idea in the world to go off with a boy she barely knew, except that, for the life of her, she could not find it in her to be afraid.

“Yes.”

His face brightened into a breathtaking smile as he took her hand.  Electricity seeming to spark from the point of contact between their joined fingers. He pulled her along, stopping every now and then to greet the curious or the familiar, introducing her as “my friend Katniss,” before breaking off the conversation. They ducked into one of the areas of the main museum, where only a handful of people lingered about the prehistoric exhibits, most remaining in the atrium to drink and socialize before the show.  He didn’t stop, even when they ascended a smaller version of the marble staircase they’d left behind, where the guests now danced and chatted. Marble doric columns soared upwards on either side, flanking their path.  He led her through more rooms than she could count until he came to a part of the museum cordoned off from the rest of the exhibits.  

The large, vaulted room took Katniss’ breath away. It was illuminated by gentle, yellow light from the floor. She could see the walls covered from floor to ceiling with artwork that called to mind the old art books she’d studied in high school, with prints of the Sistine Chapel and The Louvre.  They were on the second floor of the museum and were almost directly above the large entrance, where the music floated up like a mist from the orchestra below.

“This area is cordoned off because the artwork is being replaced. This exhibit of the Italian Renaissance is being converted to a specific one by Caravaggio.”  Peeta ran his hand over the gilded frames, something that even Katniss knew would never be possible to do if they were the average museum-goer.

“I have access to anything that I want. I’ve actually seen these works in their original museums - Vienna, Rome, Paris, Munich. I’ve been everywhere, Katniss.”  He spread his hands and turned to take in the room.  “Yet why do I feel like real life has passed me by? Why is it that I am completely aware of every stroke of chiaroscuro in this painting, have walked the roads the artist walked five hundred years later and yet, my life feels like it’s made of plastic, like nothing is real?”

“I don’t know,” Katniss said in true confusion.  “What would make your life more real?  I don’t think I would mind if had your experiences.”

“And you’re right! I don’t want to be ungrateful. But if I were left to my own devices, I wouldn’t know the first thing about what it means to have a job or have to balance my money. I don’t know how to do my own laundry; I haven’t the foggiest idea of how to take care of myself.”  Peeta flung open the double doors of the balcony, leaning over the railing as the night air and music swept in.  “I never have to think about dry-cleaning or where my meals come from or anything like that. Everything comes to me, packaged and ready to use and if I don’t like it, I can discard it.  Having so much makes everything worth nothing at all.”

“Having nothing is no fun either, you know,” Katniss retorted. “It’s hard to value what you don’t have.”

“But you see, that makes you real. It’s normal to have limits!  I have met so many people whose biggest preoccupation in life is who is the best dressed or what the latest trend is.  I was so depressed when I thought I wouldn’t see you again because after meeting you, I felt even more suffocated than ever.”  Peeta returned to stand before Katniss. “There is a whole world out there that I’ve never seen. And I know you can show it to me.”

Katniss wrinkled her nose at him. “Funny, your world looks new to me. Maybe I’d like to experience that also.”  She stepped up to him, angling her head upwards so that she was directly before him. “Maybe we can show each other what these worlds look like.”

Peeta rubbed his nose against Katniss’ cheek, his warm breath bursting across her cheek.  “You have to stick around if you want me to do that.  You think you can stay put long enough?”

“Your wish is my command, sir,” she whispered before turning her head the small inch to capture his lips with hers. Their kiss began slowly, a re-acquaintance after a long absence.  But soon the tenor changed and Katniss parted her lips, tasting the flavor of his mouth, a flavor she’d long wondered about since their first meeting. He deepened his kiss, clutching her to him as her arms wound their way around his neck.  He was gentle, as always, but there was an unexpected heat behind his grasp, an insistence to be as close to her as possible. When they separated, they were both lightheaded and breathless.

They spent an interminable amount of time, swaying to the music on the balcony and sharing their stories - Peeta recalling how his parents built up their small bakery into an international food company and then into a parent company for multiple concerns.  He described his lonely life with his brothers as their parent’s ambitions outpaced their children’s ability to meet their expectations.  

Katniss shared the loss of her father - the single most important tragedy of her life, followed by her second greatest one - her mother’s depression and mental abandonment.  They spun a tale of two lives that had meandered somewhat haphazardly, with its triumphs and disappointments towards this intersection, on a cool balcony with the sounds of violins rising up to carry them away.  For those few hours, they were free from every constraint except to be as close as possible to the object of their greatest desire.

When they realized that a noticeable amount had passed, they descended the stairs as one, hands clutched together, their rootless souls now irrevocably bound to one another.

**XXXXX**

In the euphoria of being together, they’d missed a good part of the fashion show, which was the signature event of the evening. Peeta had seen enough of off-the-shoulder, sequin and feather confections intended to be the height of fashion, at least until the next best thing came along.  And Katniss was only mildly interested in clothes in general so they were not as disappointed as they should have been.  Katniss excused herself to seek out her sister and assure herself that she was well before meeting Peeta at the champagne bar.

As Katniss moved through the crowd, she already missed Peeta.  He was so sure, possessed of a certainty about his feelings for Katniss, a certainty that was both terrific and terrifying at once. She caught sight of her sister, dancing with a dashing young man who was vaguely familiar, most likely a minor celebrity. However, she did not have the chance to verify who he was when, turning, she abruptly she came face to face with Alma Coin.

Katniss was not sure what she expected. Anger. Shouting. Accusations of betrayal.  Certainly, it was not the polite smile that now greeted her. Katniss responded with an equally chilly smile of her own.

“Katniss, I believe you have something that belongs to me,” Coin said without preamble.

“Hello, Ms. Coin,” Katniss said warily.

“We can dispense with the pleasantries. You proved very difficult to trace - having disappeared with my advance and my lamp.”

“I didn’t steal the lamp and the advance is here in my bag,” Katniss pulled out the envelope and handed it to Coin.”  I’m sorry if I didn’t get it back to you sooner but I had things come up and I had to take care of my family.”

“I don’t appreciate being taken for a fool, Katniss.  You were given a simple task and you agreed to complete it. I told you what would happen if you reneged on your part of the deal,” she said calmly, as if explaining weather to a five year old.

“You told me what would happen if I did not steal the lamp and tried to keep the advance.  Here is your advance.  I did not steal the lamp.  As far as I’m concerned, our business here is done.”  Katniss turned on her heels to march off in any direction that did not include Alma Coin, but a vice-like grip on her arm kept her from escaping.

“You think you have me checkmated,” Coin hissed, her eyes flashing with rage for the first time. “Do you think I’m somehow defeated because by exposing your theft, I would be exposing myself?  You are correct in thinking that I will not allow myself to be implicated by association with the likes of someone like you,” she said with a calm so disturbing, Katniss felt her stomach quake in fear.  “However, I will not be denied my prize. I _will_ have that lamp.”

“I told you…” Katniss said weakly but was quickly cut off again by Coin.

“And for good measure, I will also have my revenge, for the pure delight of watching you suffer. I know who the object of your affection is. I will become your worst nightmare, Katniss Everdeen. Mark my words - you will not have a future with Peeta Mellark. I will make it my personal business to thwart you in every way possible.”  Katniss tried to pull herself from the woman’s grasp but Coin only pinched harder.  Katniss felt Coin shove something deep into her small bag.  “Keep the advance for a job well-done.” Coin released Katniss’ arm and wandered off to greet a gentleman in a dark suit, leaving Katniss to shiver in dread in the middle of the dance floor.

Katniss took the opportunity to veer off into the lavish restroom, the smell of potpourri mingling with the voices of women engaged in various conversations.  She went directly to the last stall, shutting the door behind her and resting her forehead against the cool Roman tile. She tried to convince herself that they were all empty words, that Coin could not possibly be so vindictive, but her instincts told another story. She knew that Coin had issued a credible threat and now that Katniss was on her radar, she would go to great lengths to carry it out.  

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself against her anxiety. It would not do for her to become paranoid. She still had Haymitch and two good wishes left. She could wish for her family’s protection.  The thought of the genie and the power he gave her was enough to calm her nerves and return to the champagne table, where Peeta waited patiently for her. Whatever Coin had in mind, as long as Katniss had the lamp, she would be safe.

Taking Peeta’s hand, she pulled him towards a large archway hung with heavy curtain.

“I have to go soon,” she said, threading her fingers through his.

“I want to see you again,” he whispered quietly, capturing her hand and tracing the lines of her palms with his forefinger, an action that made shivers race down her spine.  “Tomorrow.”

“Will your warden let you out of her sight?” she half-teased, feeling more fully the truth of her own words.

“I have my ways,” he said, lacing his hands into her dark tresses.  “You would be surprised at what I can accomplish with the right motivation,” he pulled her towards him, his face inches from her. “Now that I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.”

“Now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?” she asked, resting her palm against his firm chest, the thrumming of his powerful heart pounding under her hand.

“Keep you somewhere safe, where you’ll never want for anything again,” he murmured, as he ran his thumb over her full lips.  Katniss mouth fell open automatically and she felt every nerve in her body tighten from want.

“I’ve got that covered now, you know,” she said breathlessly against the pad of his finger.

“There are things that money can’t buy,” he replied before bringing his lips down to hers and kissing her, without hesitation or temerity. It was a scorching kissed that filled her with an entirely different kind of hunger from the one she was accustomed to.  Katniss felt like she would burst into flames, scorching hot under his firm hand as he pressed against her back, her body flush against his.  His kiss, instead of quenching her need, left her hungering for more.

When they separated, Peeta’s skin had turned a rosy pink, his breath coming in short pants that he tried to steady. Katniss ran her hand over his face, which he captured and kissed at the pulse point.

“Dinner?” she asked.

“Too long,” he whispered against her fabric-covered forearm, the heat of his lips spreading over her skin. “Lunch.  I’ll come get you at the hotel.”

Katniss nodded. “Okay,” she said.

“It’s still too long to wait,” he complained, his lips mapping a path to her elbow. Katniss thought she might faint from the delirium he was creating in her.  She pulled her arm gently from his grasp, afraid of losing all ability to think.

“It’ll be worth it,” she said, leaving a kiss like a promise on his cheek before turning to find her sister and go home.

**XXXXX**

Time passed, making Coin’s threat fade in Katniss’ mind.  Peeta was able to visit her with a little subterfuge. Though there were times his meetings with Katniss appeared to take place despite subtle and even more obvious sabotages, they managed to see each other anyway.  She took him to her favorite bagel place, a mom and pop shop that was in the family for three generations and made the best bagels Katniss had ever tasted.  They visited a basement restaurant that a Cuban family opened after the failed Revolution, which boasted plastic chair covers and chipped plates. Mama Sae, the matriarch, fondly remembered Katniss’ dad, who ordered the stewed rabbit every time he came to visit.

She went to her first Broadway show with Peeta, a special performance of _Rent,_ followed a week later by _Le Boheme_.  Katniss couldn’t decide which version she liked better and cried during both.  He took her horseback riding and to exclusive restaurants where Katniss had no choice but to dress up.  In between it all, they grew to understand each other.  Yet there was one thing she couldn’t bring herself to tell him and it made her ill inside to think that she could be so dishonest about a thing so big.

Katniss’ greatest secret was not her feelings for Peeta at all, but her resident genie who, realizing that she was not in a hurry to use her last two wishes, resigned himself to being part of Katniss’ family, albeit an invisible one. There was no way to explain to Peeta, or for that matter, Prim and Mrs. Everdeen, why there was a strange man materializing and disappearing at all hours of the day. So Katniss imposed strict rules on Haymitch about taking his corporeal form. Hiding Haymitch from Peeta and hiding the means by which she came upon her wealth and her unfinished business with Coin triggered all of her guilt.  It got worse as time passed, for the more she became attached to Peeta, the more she feared the truth cause her to lose him.

Haymitch, of all people, did not suffer his limits as much as Katniss would have expected. In fact, instead of constraining him, he took it as a challenge to be present anyway, even if he was invisible, an experience that Johanna, in particular, could attest to.  Most of his mischief revolved around bringing her to a state of pique in situations where she was unable to respond.

“I don’t know why he thinks picking on me is so funny,” Johanna grumbled one day as she accompanied Katniss to see a brownstone for sale. They were on the hunt for a new living arrangement and were waiting patiently for the real estate agent to make an appearance in a neighborhood close to Southside. Not only would it be within walking distance to Panem City University but it was also close to the offices of Heavensbee Design House, where Prim now modeled for Effie Trinket.

“Sometimes I think he likes you,” Katniss said.

“Oh, god, stab me in the fucking face, please!” Johanna said, barely repressing her disgust. “He’s like a million years old.”

“Prim would say that age is just a number,” Katniss could definitely see why Haymitch delighted in teasing Johanna. She gave such good game.

“Fuck off, K. He’s a fucking genie.  What am I going to do, live with him in his lamp?”

“I could make it happen. I do have a wish left and I haven’t committed it to anything yet.”

“I will have your ass if you do something like that!” she stomped her boots, which made Katniss laugh so hard, it brought tears to her eyes.

“Think about it.  Like he said, you can have all that and you are going to be a wreck if you don’t get up on it, pronto,” Katniss said between guffaws of laughter.

“Fuck both of you!” she shouted as she sat down miserably on the concrete steps. “If you weren’t filthy rich, I’d leave you!”

“Ohhh, poor baby,” chuckled Katniss. “You can’t go. You’d miss your man too much.”  Katniss stopped teasing when her phone vibrated with a text message from Peeta.

_Peeta – What are you up to?_

_Katniss – Seeing a house. How about you?_

_Peeta – I’m free this afternoon._

_Katniss  - I’ll be done here in about an hour.  Meet me at my place?_

_Peeta – Can’t wait._

_Katniss – Me neither._

Katniss put her phone in her pocket when the realtor arrived but she could feel the idiotic smile on her face as she was lead on a tour of the building.  Even when she’d decided that she might want to put a bid it, she couldn’t help but feel dreamy and counted the minutes until the agent finished showing the house.  She eyed Johanna, who walked along next to her, texting away on her phone.

“So…” Katniss tried for nonchalant and was not sure she succeeded.  “What are you up to this afternoon?”

Without looking up from her phone, Johanna answered, “I’m going to see my mom.”

“Oh, okay.  Well, I’m heading home now.”

“Okay, slut. I have condoms in my end table if you need them,” she said, still staring at her phone screen.

“Wh-? No!  Why would I need those?”

Johanna looked up then, giving Katniss a hard stare. “You’re not riding bread boy bareback, are you?”

“Jo, we haven’t, you know, we’re not…”

“Oh, shut the fuck up. You’ll be in his pants all day. You have it written all over your face. Remember, pinch the tip and don’t yank the condom down all the way. That’s how people get holes in them...Hello, ma?” Johanna turned her attention to her cell phone, leaving Katniss alone to her embarrassment. She wanted to protest that she had no intention of actually sleeping with Peeta but the truth was, the more time passed, the more a vague hunger settled in her belly and grew, becoming a voracious need she found increasingly hard to ignore.  It only took a look, a brush of his hand, sometimes the mere thought of him to make her blood rush to her head.  As she watched Johanna go, she wondered what it would be like to give in to that hunger.

 

**XXXXX**

 

Peeta waited for her in the lobby of the hotel, thumbing through a magazine in the foyer.  Katniss paused to study him - blond head bent in concentration, the profile of his strong nose and full lips.  He had a cleft on his chin that was perfect for resting her forefinger, something she did often.  Katniss’ skin tingled from merely looking at him and she found it somewhat difficult to walk as she approached him.

“Hey,” she said, threading her fingers into this thick, curly hair.

He lowered the magazine onto his lap to look up at her, his deep blue eyes boring into hers.  “Hey.”

Cocking her head in the direction of the elevator, Katniss caught his hand and pulled him up.  “I think I found a home for us.”

“Great!” he smiled. “Where is it?”

“Southside, near the university. Prim doesn’t have to live in a dorm.  It’s a brownstone, right on Washington Park…”

“Maybe Prim wants to stay in the dorm, you know, for the experience of living on campus.”Peeta said as he stepped in front of the elevator sensor to let Katniss on.

Katniss gave him a blank look before a scowl stole slowly over her face.  “I’m being over-bearing again, aren't’ I?”

“No, just a little overprotective. There’s nothing wrong with that,” he smiled.  “But I’ll be the first to tell you that commuting is no fun - I talked my father into finally letting me stay on campus for the last two years of college.  He was pissed, but I managed to convince him.”

“Why are your parents so…”

“Strict?  Overbearing?” Peeta sighed.  “My father is paranoid.  He thinks, because of his wealth, something might happen to us.  My older brother was almost kidnapped when he was in middle school for a ransom. Coin and her security detail were able to stop it, but it was a close call. Ever since then, he’s been ridiculously strict about us staying close to the family,”  Peeta said this dismissively.

“That would traumatize me too, to be honest,” Katniss said. “How was Coin able to stop it?”

“I don’t know; she just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he answered as the doors opened onto their floor. They had the only suite on the penthouse level so the elevator rarely opened unless it was one of them.  

“Coincidence,” Katniss whispered to herself. She tried not to think about Coin and what she was capable of. The memory of her threats at the gala still made her feel ill.

Katniss looked about the apartment but she knew no one was home.  Prim was at school until late that night, Mrs. Everdeen was at Dr. Aurelius’s office and would be out all afternoon with a new friend from support group.  Katniss set her jacket in the closet and turned to catch Peeta watching her intently, his eyes somewhat darkened in concentration.

“Do you want something to drink?” she asked nervously.  He’d been here before - and they were often alone. But every one of her senses seemed heightened today and she had a hard time keeping herself calm.

“Water would be great,” he smiled as he sat down and pulled the remote to him. He flipped through the channels, stopping on the news.  Katniss brought two glasses and set them down on the coffee table.

They sipped their water, staring at the screen, even though a commercial played.  Katniss’ hands were itching to touch him but she was afraid if she did, she might burst into flames.  Finally, Peeta turned towards her, playing with a strand of black hair that fallen out of her braid.  “I have a gift for you.”

“Really?  Why?” she asked, surprised.

“Because I felt like it,” he shrugged, pulling a rectangular box out from behind his back, wrapped in silver paper.  “Take it,” he insisted.

“I…” she was speechless as she took the box from his hand.  Carefully removing the wrapping, born of the habit of saving and reusing gift-wrap paper, even though she could well afford to buy more now, she found an elegant, black jewelry box inside.

“Peeta, you shouldn’t have,” she whispered as she opened the gift. Inside was a bracelet, made of silver. On the links were different charms which Katniss studied closely.  There was a tiny violin, a princess dress, a pearl the shape of a teardrop and the letters K and P.

“We’ll keep adding to the bracelet every time we make a memory together,” he said quietly, placing the jewelry on Katniss wrist before grasping one of the charms between his forefinger and thumb.  “You see, there’s the violin…”

“The concert where we escaped on the Old Goat,” Katniss smiled at the memory that had set everything off.

“The dress, for the gala, the single greatest night of my life,” he chuckled as the K and P rested on his finger tips.  “That’s us, of course.”

“Of course,” she laughed, before indicating the pearl.  “And this?”

“That,” he blushed, looking bashful, which made Katniss have the mad urge to grab both of his ears and pull his lips to hers.  “Pearls form spontaneously in nature, usually as a kind of self-protection.  They are also very rare. It represents beauty born in adversity,” he looked up, his eyes full of a feeling that made Katniss’ knees weak, even though she was already seated.  “You’re like that. You’re my pearl, Katniss and you’re very precious to me.” he said, his voice shaking.

“Peeta,” she whispered before pressing her lips against his. He responded immediately, his lips parting to give her prodding tongue entry.  He pulled her towards him until she was straddling his lap and pressed firmly against his chest.  She tugged his head by the hair so she could kiss him more deeply, her tongue sweeping into the wet warmth of his mouth.  With a fierce need of his own, Peeta stroked her until she whimpered, his hands gliding over her back to pin her to him.  

The hunger that Katniss always seemed to carry within flared, engulfing her like an unfurling mist.  Peeta’s tentative touch became pronounced as his hands landed on her hips, the evidence of his desire rising up between her thighs.  She ground down on it, eliciting a gasp of surprise from Peeta. Gripping her hips he bucked upwards, looking for relief against her now drenched core, a move that Katniss returned with equal need, gyrating her hips downward.

Katniss pressed Peeta’s head back and ran moist kisses over his jaw and neck, eliciting more sounds from him.  She was mindless in her assault, her body having held this feeling at bay for so long, her need for him overran the boundaries of her fear.  She’d wanted him this way since the night she cast stones with him into the river.  Now, she gave into that need, grasping desperately for it. She could no more stop herself than she could stop an oncoming storm.

“Let’s go to my room,” Katniss whispered against his lips.  Peeta nodded, lifting them both easily off the couch and carrying Katniss to her bedroom.  Closing and locking the door firmly behind them, he walked towards the mattress and tumbled with her onto the bed.  They tore at each other’s clothes, ripping off shirts and flinging pants across the room until they were down to their underwear.  

Peeta stopped kissing her, his head hanging down over her chest.  “God, I want this to last," he panted. “But I’ve wanted this since the first time you ran into me in that shop,” he looked up, his eyes gone almost black with desire.  “I want this to be so good for you.”

“We have all day,” Katniss whispered quietly. “and it’s already so good,” she said as she pulled him down to kiss her, and wrapped her legs around his waist.  His hand racing up her side to cup her bra-clad breasts, freeing them from their confines. He broke off from kissing her to lavish the hard peaks with his tongue, sucking and kissing the skin around the taut nipple before covering it with his mouth. Katniss moaned loudly, reveling in the feel of his hands and lips on her.  

Reaching deftly behind her, she unhooked her bra and flung it to the side, freeing her breasts to his attentions. His eyes widened in desire as he took both of them in his hand, kneading and kissing them both in turn.  Katniss arched her back, pressing them into his mouth. It was just as she had imagined.  Peeta was as generous and giving in bed as he was in his day-to-day life and it made Katniss’ heart swell.

Making his way down her body, Peeta covered her skin in hot kisses, his tongue painting his desire onto her in moist designs, until his head was between her legs. Pulling her underwear impatiently from her body, he pressed her legs open, his thick fingers explored her sex.  

Katniss should have been embarrassed by his boldness except that she desperately wanted what he was going to give her.  

His tongue replaced his fingers, which he plunged inside of her, curling and searching for that spot that made something deep in her belly coil.  He sucked on her clit, causing a sensation that made her hips rise involuntarily off of the bed.

“Ungh, Peeta, please…” she said as she started to spiral upwards.  His fingers and mouth became more insistent as he found the rhythm that would make her fall apart.  Katniss grasped the bars of the metal headboard above her, a move that made Peeta hum with appreciation against her core.  The vibration of approval was enough to set Katniss off and soon she was soaring, her body curved in release. Peeta didn’t let go until every wave of feeling had spread itself through her body, eliciting shouts and incomprehensible moans as she came back down to earth.  

Grasping at his jeans, Peeta pulled out a foil packet and rolled the latex over his erection. Katniss stared at it, wanting him inside of her, though she’d lost control of her muscles.  Hovering over her, he kissed her, pinning her hands above her.   He pulled back to hold her gaze as he sunk slowly down into her, watching her every reaction.

“You feel as good as you taste,” he growled, rotating his hips so she felt his full length inside of her.  He was being deliberate and slow, pinning her down so that she had no choice but to submit to his movements.

“I knew it would be perfect,” he muttered as his rhythm began to take shape. Releasing her hands, he rested his own on either side of her, his hips snapping as his strokes became faster.  Katniss ran her hands over the hard muscles of his chest, her lips encircling and capturing one of his firm, hard nipples in her mouth, causing him to hiss from the sensation. Just as he’d lavished her breasts with attention, she did the same, kissing and pinching them between her finger and forefinger while he plunged onwards, his speed and insistence increasing.  Katniss curled around him, taking every blow as the tip of him stroked the deepest part of her belly.

His pace became more frenetic and Katniss knew he would not hold on much longer. She raced to catch up to him, her belly tightening again until his grunts pushed her over the edge.  His own release rose up with hers as they arched against each other, climbing with each breaking wave until they collapsed, shuddering into a heap of sweaty, elastic limbs and deep satisfaction.

Peeta’s head rested against Katniss’ neck as his breathing struggled to return to normal.  When he was no longer gasping, he turned his head into her hair, muttering under his breath.  Befuddled, Katniss pressed back against him, running her hands into his damp, matted hair.

“What did you say?” she asked, gently untangling the curls that trapped her fingers.

He lifted his head so that his lips were against her ear. “I said, I love you.”  He said it with such vulnerability that it melted her heart. But the tenderness was followed by guilt, for she knew that her love would not be pure unless she told him the truth.

“I love you too,” she said, “but we need to talk. I have something to tell you.”

Peeta pulled back, stroking her hair as he spoke. “There’s nothing you could tell me that would make me love you less,”

Katniss frowned. _Don’t bet on it_ , she thought to herself.  Instead, she stroked his face much like he’d done to her.  “I’ll make us some hot chocolate and we’ll talk?”

He smiled at her. “You know all my weaknesses.  I’m going to just run to the bathroom and clean up, then I’ll help you.”

“Okay,” she said as she dressed quickly, stopping in her sister’s bathroom to wash herself.  Katniss felt positively giddy, more so than when she’d smoked Chaffe’s pipe so many years before.  The prospect of the tale she had to tell Peeta made her stomach clench with anxiety.  Yet, she had to tell him the truth. She couldn’t not give him the kind of love he wanted if it was built on anything less.

She warmed the chocolate chunks in the pot, stirring the cream in slowly, the way her mother had once taught her. Setting the mugs out on the table, she waited patiently, realizing that a full fifteen minutes had passed since she’d left the bedroom.  Wondering about the silence, Katniss padded back to her room to find it empty. Hesitating, she drew up the courage to knock on the bathroom door, but to her surprise, got no response. Katniss became nervous as she opened the door and found the lights on but no Peeta to be found anywhere. She searched the room and saw his shoes and socks still discarded on the floor, his underwear hanging from the knob on her dresser. Smiling to herself, she imagined he’d thrown on his jeans and gotten lost in the penthouse.

“Peeta!” she called out, searching the other rooms.  As she made her way into the study, the open cabinet caught her attention, making her freeze in place. She’d hidden Haymitch’s lamp in the safe but a glance told her that the door to the safe was broken open.

“Shit!” she exclaimed as she knocked books and papers aside in search of Haymitch’s dented, metal home, but all she found were dust motes and shavings of metal strewn on the floor from whatever had sawed open the door of the safe.

Katniss could feel the panic rising inside of her.  “Peeta!” she screamed.  “Haymitch?” But her terrified shouts were met with resounding silence as she dashed from room to room.  Returning to her bedroom, Katniss observed that if Peeta was wearing his jeans, he would have his cell phone with him.  She grabbed her own phone and dialed his number, her heart sinking each time a ring went unanswered.

“Answer the phone!” she shouted as the phone went to voicemail.  “No! No! No!” she exclaimed  in desperation as she called Johanna. She would be the only one who could help her but her phone also rang to voicemail.  Out of desperation, Katniss called her sister’s phone and then her mother’s but no one responded to her.

Katniss almost collapsed from the enormity of it and made a concerted effort to think. She couldn’t call the police, even though everyone she knew and loved had gone missing. Only one person could be responsible for the missing lamp. Coin’s chilling threats came back to her with the force of a horror movie being replayed behind her eyes. She wracked her brain, wondering who her possible allies could be against Coin but none powerful enough would do.  Just as a plan of action was forming in her mind, her phone rang.  Relief washed over her when she saw Peeta’s number appear on the screen.

“Peeta! Oh my god!” she exclaimed in relief. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

However, it was not Peeta’s voice that came through the line, but the ice cold cadences of Coin’s bland accent.  “Search no further. Your boyfriend is here.  Come to think of it, I have your mother, your sister, your best friend and your genie as well.  If you would like to see them again, I suggest you come to the address I am about to text you. Come alone, or your will never see your family alive again.  You have one hour.”

Katniss prepared to launch a litany of obscenities into the phone but the call was cut short, followed by the vibration of an incoming text.  Studying the address, she looked at her watch. She would need every minute of that hour to make it from where she was to where she needed to be, which was certainly part of Coin’s plan - to give her no time for a counterattack.  Katniss bolted out of the room, grabbing her bag as she barrelled towards the elevator. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She’d have to think of what to do on the way there, though she knew there were no weapons against what she was about to face.

 

**XXXXX**

 

The car arrived outside of The Mellark Mansion. Much to Katniss’ chagrin, the credit card she gave the driver was rejected.  None of her credit cards worked any longer. Digging inside of her wallet, she pulled out all the cash she had and handed it over as payment, not bothering to count it as she got out of the car.  She considered sneaking up to the house but she was almost positive that Coin already knew she was there. She had no choice but to confront the situation head-on, come what may. In some ways, Katniss resigned herself to the fate she deserved.

The door opened without Katniss having to knock. One of Coin’s henchmen indicated with a sweep of his hand that Katniss should follow him.  They entered an elegantly adorned room, a single chandelier illuminating the white leather furniture, stylishly cut glass tables and expensive, but muted oriental carpets. Seated as if for tea time were Johanna, Prim, and her mother, except that instead of expensive tea settings, their wrists were tied together on their laps. Opposite of them sat the entire Mellark family - Mr. and Mrs. Mellark, Peeta’s brothers and Peeta himself, glaring at the men standing about them with guns trained on the entire company. The silence in the room was eerie but terror was clearly written on everyone’s faces.

“Katniss!” exclaimed Prim, but fell silent when one of the men prodded her shoulder with the barrel of his gun.

“Katniss.  Thank you for accepting my invitation,” said Coin from one of the leather chairs, a mute Haymitch standing next to her.

“I’d hardly call this an invitation,” seethed Katniss, though she worked hard to keep any further outbursts under control.

“Be that as it may, we’ve had a very...informative time...while waiting for you to arrive. In particular, your family was interested in knowing the true source of your wealth. You created quite a few - fictions - to explain your good fortune.” Coin walked about the room as she spoke, her blazing eyes betraying the flatness of your voice.  She gave off the air of boredom, as if she would rather be elsewhere.  “I wonder how you managed to keep track of all your lies.”

Katniss felt the bottom drop out of her stomach as she looked from face to face, beginning with her mother and sister, whose expressions were of both fear and disappointment, sweeping to the Mellark Family, who appeared to be completely befuddled by this turn of events. But it was Peeta’s face that hurt the most - the naked pain of betrayal written across it.

“I was going to tell you,” she said in a small voice but Peeta only dropped his eyes to the floor and turned away.

Johanna, who was quietly struggling against her bindings, stared down Coin with rage in her eyes. “If you wanted the fucking lamp so badly, why didn’t you just take it and make your wishes already? What do we have to do with it?  Are you going to gloat about how fucking amazing you are because now you’ve got the lamp and Katniss doesn’t?”

Coin made her way towards Johanna and gave her a powerful slap on the face.  Katniss saw Haymitch visibly flinch but stood as if frozen in place. “I’ve warned you about your mouth, girl.  I’m not ready to kill you yet but I will make sure your journey is as painful as possible.”

Johanna spat a wad of saliva and blood on the floor. “Untie my hands and see if you have the balls to do that again,” she hissed.

“Goddammit, Jo!” exclaimed Haymitch again as another slap landed on her face.  

“Okay, stop it already!” Katniss shouted, moving towards Coin. However, two large men stepped on either side of her and kept her from taking another step.

“Don’t touch her!” Peeta bellowed as he struggled against his bindings, flushing pink from the effort.

Katniss pleaded with Coin. “Your beef is with me, not them. Do what you want to me but please, let them go!”

“No,” said Coin calmly. “I told you that I would not only reclaim my lamp, but I would also take pleasure in humiliating you. You had a bargain that you did not keep.” For the first time, Katniss could see her composure crack, giving way to a fury that demanded to be expressed. “To add insult to injury, you show up, like a common urchin in a princess dress with your tart of a sister, at the gala of the year, as if taunting me with your double theft.” She called Haymitch over with the crook of her finger.  “Now I have the lamp and the power of the genie within.”

“Haymitch…” said Katniss sadly.

“I’m sorry, kid. I have a new master now,” Haymitch said dejectedly.

“No, _I’m_ sorry. I should have freed you when I had the chance,” she cast a forlorn look at Johanna, who looked like she would have bitten Coin if she had gotten close enough to her.  

“You are an ignorant, low-class, impoverished girl with no background, no family of worth, no money and no intrinsic value of your own,” she said with biting hatred.  Part of Katniss wanted to fight back, to protest that she was worth something but part of her also believed her words.  She slumped as each epithet descended on her, feeling crushed under the truth of her words.

“Excuse me,” a low but firm voice came from behind Coin.  Katniss raised her eyes to see her mother straighten against the bonds that held her, a fire that had long been extinguished blazing in her soft blue eyes.  “Katniss, honey, no matter what happens, you remember that you are your father’s daughter. He might have been a poor man but he loved us in a way this monster will never understand.  He never stole a thing in his life and worked hard for the little bit he had.” she directed her next comments to Coin, delivering them with devastating calm. “You took advantage of a young girl’s weakness to get something that you did not have the courage to take yourself. You think because you have these men, these guns and that genie there, that you are somehow more powerful than all of us. But you are pathetic, Ms. Coin.  My daughter has more character, more courage and more dignity than you will ever have.  God help you, woman, if I get my hands on you, for hurting my girl.”

“Mom,” Katniss croaked in agony.

Coin’s lips curled in mockery of the woman. “Lucky for me, you won’t have the chance. I made my first wish, which was to have control of your fortune and that of the Mellark family.  I have been working for those two peacocks for far too long and it is a relief to no longer be in their employ.”

“Traitor,” hissed Peeta’s father.

Coin ignored Mr. Mellark as she continued,  “Katniss and I are going to take a little walk down the the road and I am going to make my second wish, which is to burn down this wretched mansion - with this entire group of idiots inside.”

There were gasps of shock from all around. Peeta strained against his bonds. “No!  You’re out of your mind!  You won’t get away with this!” he said desperately.  

“Oh, I’ll get away with it. However, Katniss will not be as fortunate.  They will blame this entire tragedy on her.  They will find her corpse with all the incriminating evidence necessary to determine that she is responsible for mass, cold-blooded murder, ending her rampage with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Coin turned her cold, colorless eyes towards Katniss. “It will be a compelling tale of psychosis resulting from the  death of your beloved father.  Your mental illness was further compounded by your boyfriend’s rejection at the discovery that you were the thief who broke into Cinna’s Factory.  In a fit of madness, you decided to destroy all the people you felt were responsible for your suffering.”  Coin tsked dramatically. “It will go down as one of the most tragic crimes of the last twenty years.”

“Uh, excuse me, but there are a few quid pro quos to this whole Genie business…” Haymitch interrupted.

“And…” Coin spoke over Haymitch, “I will become the most powerful woman of my age.” She gave Katniss a smile that was almost sincere before turning to her minions. “Gag them.  There’s nothing I hate more than to hear pathetic screaming.”  She waved her hands and the two men who were restraining Katniss dragged her behind Coin.

“No!  Stop!  This is crazy!  Alma, please, we’ve known each other for more than ten ye---!” Mrs. Mellark’s last words were muffled by a cloth tied around her mouth.

“Ten years too long, Sybil,” she said dismissively. “Be sure you tie that one extra tight. She’s a feisty one.” Coin said, indicating towards Johanna.

“Prim!” screamed Katniss, fighting the men who dragged her out in desperation.  “Peeta! I’m so sorry!”

“Katniss!  Katniss!” He called out to her, her name now falling from the mouths of those she loved the most. Haymitch floated alongside, his shoulders rounded in defeat.  He looked sadly at Johanna, who sought out his gaze even as the gag covered her mouth, her face finally betraying her fear for the first time since the fiasco with Coin had started.

‘I’m so sorry!” Katniss wailed as she was dragged, kicking and screaming onto the road. When they’d made it beyond the gate, Coin turned towards Haymitch.

“Genie, I wish for you to set fire to that house.” Coin commanded.

Haymitch wore a look of utter desolation as he raised his hands.  “Your wish is my command, Master.”

“No, Alma!” Katniss shouted, using Coin’s given name.  “Please, think about this. I won’t ever tell anyone about the lamp. You can have everything you want! There’s no reason for this.  No one will ever bother you if you just let them go!” Katniss begged as an explosion went off in the back of the house, flames bursting angrily from a location that appeared to be the kitchen.

“I keep my promises, Katniss Everdeen. We made a bargain. You violated the terms of our agreement. Now you will pay the consequences. And…” she dropped her voice to a whisper, “I’m enjoying myself very much.”  She lifted a small handgun from a holster on her side, removing the safety and cocking the chamber.

Katniss looked wildly over at the house, the fire having spread to one of the front rooms.  Thinking quickly, she began laughing hysterically. “It’s no use anyway!  You’ll never be the most powerful woman of your age even if you burn ten houses down!”

Coin stopped her work, eyeing Katniss carefully.  “Are you mocking me? You’re in a strange position to do that.” she said as she pointed the barrel experimentally at Katniss’ head.  

“You’ll never be more powerful than the genie. He holds the ultimate power. He’s just too much of a drunk to use it,” Katniss said, tauntingly, casting Haymitch a meaningful look.  He responded with a quizzical expression of his own before understanding dawned on his face. This was the moment that Katniss would determine how well Haymitch truly understood her.

Meanwhile, a greedy gleam entered Coin’s eyes as she considered Katniss’ words.

“You’re so stupid,” Katniss continued in a low voice. “The minute you make your last wish, your power is done.”

“Are you crazy?” exclaimed Haymitch, eyes flashing in rage. “Why the hell would you tell her something like that?”

Coin looked at Haymitch appreciatively, her mind working.  “Indeed.” She put the safety back on the gun and placed it in the holster.

“Genie, I wish to become a more powerful genie than you.”

The outraged expression on Haymitch’s face turned into one of utter scorn.  “Your wish is my command, Master,” he drawled.

At his last word, the wind whipped violently around them. It was clear that Haymitch was harnessing a tremendous amount of energy to fulfill this last wish, his eyes aflame and his entire figure glowing with power.  Alma was struck by a bolt of unnatural lightening, which lifted her off the ground as electricity  seemed to pour directly into her.  When the light receded, a black lamp appeared beside her.  Her face, suffused with the ecstasy of power, changed to horror as her body began to lose shape. She looked at her hands and tried to speak but a force as strong as a tempest sucked at her nebulous shape until she was completely swallowed up by the lamp.  Katniss, who had watched the entire event in awe, turned her attention to the house, which was now being swallowed by flames.

“Haymitch!” she gasped in terror. “I wish -  just save them!”

Haymitch faced the burning house, growing in stature as he whipped the elements, a funnel of water and wind being called down by the heavens.  The fire seemed to recede and douse out in the reverse direction as it had began until the house was restored to its previous condition. Taking Katniss’ hand and holding Coin’s lamp in the other, they flew at inhuman speed toward the house, the door bursting open with a wave of Haymitch’s hand.  Katniss raced inside to find everyone in a state of confusion as they removed the bands from their hands.

“Mom!  Prim!” she threw her arms around them, bursting into tears.  “I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, over and over.

Haymitch appeared before Johanna, making her rope disappear with a wave of his hand.  Much to his surprise, Johanna flung herself at him, knocking him to the ground.

“I knew you couldn’t resist all this,” he muttered into her hair as he clasped her to him.

“Oh, shut up, you old dog,” she groused before capturing his mouth and giving him a kiss that left him uncharacteristically speechless.

“Wow," he said softly. "I should save your life more often."

Johanna smirked, pushing his hair back from his forehead. “I’m never gonna hear the end of this one, am I?”

“Gotta work my advantage,” he said as he pulled her down for another kiss.

Meanwhile, Katniss released her mother and sister and turned towards Peeta and his family. “I’m so sorry about all of this,” she said tearfully. “I created this situation because of my lies and I know there is nothing I can do to make up for it. But I...I love Peeta and I didn’t think he’d love me unless I was equal to him."

“Honestly, I’m still digesting everything but I can’t help but think that you’re heart was in the right place, if your methods were somewhat misguided,” said Mr. Mellark, looking kindly at Katniss.

She glanced sheepishly at Peeta, wordlessly pleading with him to understand.  “I was going to tell you everything!”

Peeta tugged at Katniss braid.  “I know.”

Haymitch looked from Katniss to Peeta and back again. “Hey, sweetheart, you have one more wish. Just wish for your money back and you’ll be right as rain again.”

“What about your freedom?” Katniss asked in horror.

“Oh, hey, it’s just an eternity of servitude.  What you guys have here is love.” he glanced over at Johanna, who gripped his hand. “That’s more important than anything else.”

“No, Haymitch.” Katniss turned towards Peeta.  “I love you, with all my heart but it’s no good if I keep pretending to be someone I’m not.  I’m a broke, stubborn girl from the projects and if you’re going to love me, that’s who I have to be.”

Peeta smiled at her, running a thumb over her cheek.  “I think I can deal with that.” Katniss captured his hand, kissing his palm in gratitude.

Facing Haymitch, she said “Genie, I wish for your freedom.”

Haymitch waited but nothing happened. “Quick, ask for something ridiculous, like ‘I wish for the Empire State Building.’”

Katniss chuckled, “I wish for the Empire State Building.”’

“Uh, how about no?” he asked tentatively and smirked when nothing happened. “Hell, no, you can’t have the Empire State Building!”  He grabbed Johanna by the waist, eliciting a look of feigned horror from her. “What do you say to a little globe-hopping, brat?  I saw the Pyramids while they were still being built.  And I'm dumping this...” he indicated the black lamp that dangled from his forefinger,"...into the deepest part of the ocean."

“Is that her?" Katniss asked, looking at the lamp as if it would attack her.

"Yep. And there isn't a hole deep enough to hide her," Haymitch said.

"You’re a million years old, you’re broke and you don’t know shit about the modern world. How far do you think we'll go?” Johanna asked but her words lacked the venom that they usually contained.  “In fact, we’re all a bunch of broke losers.”

Prim and Mrs. Everdeen walked over to where everyone stood, the shock of the last few hours wearing off. “Hey, I still have a job with Effie,” she said helpfully.

“We’ll figure it out. We’ve always figured out a way to get by,” Mrs. Everdeen said as she opened her arms to her oldest daughter. Katniss, who had been waiting for her mother’s invitation for close to ten years, stepped into her mother’s arms and let her comfort her.

“I wouldn’t exactly declare defeat yet,” said Mr. Mellark.  “Alma’s first wish was to take control of both our wealth and families, Katniss.  I’m sure with some effort from my lawyers, we can set everything straight again. You might be a stubborn girl from the projects, but you won’t be broke for long.”

“It won’t matter unless…” she said hesitantly.

Peeta shook his head.  “Don’t even say it. I love you, Katniss. I’m not letting you go, no matter how much or how little you have,” Peeta said as he pulled her into his arms and gave her a kiss that wiped whatever uncertainties she still possessed from her mind.  

When he released her, everyone stood around awkwardly, exchanging looks with one another.

“I could kind of go for some take-out, what do you think?” Peeta asked Katniss.

“Yeah, but, nobody’s got any money,” she said, somewhat dejectedly.

Mrs. Everdeen smoothed out her dress, pulling out a coin purse from her bra with a roll of hundreds inside. “It’s alright everyone,” said she said.  “Next time, you can treat.”

 

**XXXXX**

 


End file.
